…run-off to settle tie between AFC, independent candidates

DUE to a tie between two candidates at Monday’s Local Government Elections, residents are presently awaiting the date for a run-off to be held in the community in the coming month.

The run-off election will allow residents of Kwakwani’s Constituency Four to vote a second time for either Petranalla Pollard of the independent- Kwakwani United for Progress Constituency Four Representative or for Alliance for Change’s Constituency Four Representative, Latoya Mohammed.

Kwakwani’s constituency representatives are: Paris Archer, Representative of People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Omenel Simon, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Maleeka Russell, representative of Kwakwani United for Progress (KUFP), Orville August, representing Alliance for Change (AFC) and Elsie McPherson of APNU.
In addition, the last spot left will be occupied by the winner of the runoff election that will be held in the near future.

The overall seats obtained by parties and groups that contested the elections on Monday were twelve of which APNU obtained 4, PPP copped 2, AFC got 2 seats while KUFP won three seats. The final seat will be given to the party that wins the runoff election.

Expressing gratitude was Kwakwani United for Progress (KUFP) representative, Maleeka Russel, who won Constituency Three said: “I just want to say thank you to all the people who supported me and the Kwakwani United for Progress group. The residents of Waterfront Road area, Chine Lane, and the many other KUFP representatives who worked hard to make our constituency win a success.”

Russel is promising to serve her constituency and community to the best of her ability. “I can’t promise houses and land or money but what I can promise is to serve to the best of my ability for the next three years,” Russel stated.

She added, “Kwakwani is ours, Guyana is ours. It’s our responsibility to create new ways and means for development, there is no way someone who only knows the name “Kwakwani” will love Kwakwani more than us who live here.”

Russel indicated that it is time youths take control of their lives and realise that it is their responsibility to make the environment a better one. “About half of Kwakwani’s population is made up of young people, of those, many are afraid to follow their dreams but guess what, we are youths, we are young, we have strength, and the power to change the mental barriers that have been set up against us.

It’s time we take control of our lives and realise that 20 years from now we are going to be raising our kids and grand kids hence it’s our responsibility to create a safe environment , one that is youth-friendly,” she expressed.