…small parties camp out ahead of today’s submission

By Svetlana Marshall

IT is Nomination Day in Guyana for the highly -anticipated General and Regional Elections billed for Monday, March 2, 2020.

Today, at the Umana Yana, located in Kingston, Georgetown, 19 political parties are expected to submit their Lists of Candidates to the country’s Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, and according to the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, the lists would be accepted on a first-come basis from 13:00hrs to 17:00hrs. Of the 19 political parties, 14 are new. They are challenging the ruling party – the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition and its primary contender – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), for the occupancy of the 65-Member National Assembly, in addition to seats at the level of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs).

100% READY

Ahead of Nomination Day, President Granger, Leader of the APNU+AFC, said the coalition, which ‘renewed its vows’ on December 24, 2019, was 100 per cent ready to submit its List of Candidates. He said the list is balanced and inclusive of all groups of Guyanese.
“The APNU+AFC, as a coalition, is made up of six parties and we’ve received nominations after due consultations from our partners so we will be on time and we will have a list which is ethnically balanced, which is gender balanced, which is geographically balanced, occupationally balanced and still provides the Guyanese people with the talent needed to go in to the National Assembly and to continue on the course that we’ve embarked on,” the President told the Guyana Chronicle.

On Thursday, during his appearance on Guyana Chronicle’s online programme, ‘Vantage Point,’ Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Mervyn Williams confirmed that the APNU+AFC will be contesting in all 10 administrative regions. Like President Granger, he said the list would be reflective of the coalition partners. “It would be a list that is reflective of youth and gender equality. It would be a list that brings experience; a list that brings brilliance, and a list that brings people who are prepared to do the hard work, so the country could be a better place,” Williams said.

Added to that, he said the list would represent the secular nature of the country and its ethnic composition. “It is a list that would reflect the ethnic diversity of our country. It is a list of people, who have the potential, capability and the will to unite this county, to develop this country and to make it a better place so that our children and grandchildren would be proud of us, those who are privileged to be on that list,” he further stated.

SMALL PARTIES CAMP OUT

Meanwhile, determined to have their lists submitted within the specified period outlined by the Elections Commission, The New Movement (TNM), the United Republic Party (URP) and A NEW and United Guyana (ANUG) camped out in front of the Umana Yana days ahead of Nomination Day.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the Umana Yana on Thursday afternoon, a huge truck bearing The New Movement logo (TNM) was parked in front of Umana Yana as GECOM officers, from a distance, could be seen inside of the building putting the final arrangements in place.

Dr. Asha Kissoon, Founder and Presidential Candidate of TNM, told the Guyana Chronicle that her contingent was the first to arrive at the Umana Yana. According to her, team TNM arrived at the historic site at 21:00hrs on Wednesday – more than two days ahead of Nomination Day. The youth-based party is contesting in six regions – Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice). The candidates, comprising mainly professionals, are drawn from various parts of the country.

“Our list is complete, we are ready to submit…We were the first party to get here because we are young, we are driven and we are motivated,” Dr. Kissoon told this newspaper. According to the 30-year-old Presidential Candidate, it is time young people are given a seat at the decision-making table and TNM is well equipped to make the difference. “Our aim is to help young Guyanese elevate themselves,” she said.

Twenty-three-year-old Joel Barnes, who is among the TNM candidates, said he is ready to serve. “I am from the small riverine communities of Sandhills and Endeavour, and I got a passion for young people, for development and a passion for movements. I believe in The New Movement; I believe in what we stand for, which is advocating for youths, for better employment,” the young businessman told this newspaper.

In the shadow of the TNM truck, parked two vehicles carrying URP and ANUG logos. In the absence of URP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu, Nyota Lewis, one of the party’s candidates, said the party is contesting in all 10 administrative regions.
Lewis, who hails from Linden but now resides in Georgetown, said URP is ready to hand in its Lists of Candidates. For her, it is time to give a third party a chance. “Well, as you know, it is just mainly the PPP and the APNU+AFC, so we are coming as the third party. We are basically looking for a change, and so we are hoping that persons would support us,” she told this newspaper.

BALANCED LIST

Meanwhile, Akanni Blair, an ANUG candidate, told the Guyana Chronicle that the party, which was birthed following the December 2018 No-Confidence Motion, would be contesting in seven regions. “The list is a balanced list, we would have satisfied all the criteria – 35 per cent females, and we have a full list,” he shared, while pointing out that ANUG’s Presidential Candidate is former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran. ANUG is expected to coalesce with another small party by the name of FED-UP.
While ANUG is hoping to secure at least a seat or two in the National Assembly, Blair said the reality on the ground indicates that the heavyweights – the APNU+AFC and PPP/C – will secure the support of the masses.

“The feeling on the ground – it looks to me, and from the feedback I am getting from the general public, it is more or less a straight race between the APNU and the PPP. But having said that, there is this small number of people, who are looking for something different, that is possibly going to give one or two of these small parties maybe a seat or two,” he explained.

According to him, the smaller parties dropped the ball. “There are too many (small parties) in my opinion and if they coalesce, all of them, it would have been different scenario. Even the PPP and the APNU have their hardcore supporters, even within those supporters; there are people who are basically ‘fed-up’ with the two major parties,” he lamented.

In contract to the smaller parties, it is expected that the APNU+AFC coalition and the PPP/C would submit their lists amid much fanfare. The leading coalition, headed by President David Granger, is expected to lead hundreds of supporters through the streets of Georgetown from Parade Ground to the Umana Yana. The PPP/C is expected to depart from Freedom House on Robb Street.

PPP/C Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha, said his party is also ready to present its List of Candidates to the Elections Secretariat. According to him, the list will feature both genders; persons form different ethnic backgrounds and persons of different ages.
The lists to be presented are categorised as General Elections List and Geographical Constituency List. The General Elections List is made up of the National Top-Up List, which must have at least 300 to 330 nominators countrywide, and at least 42 candidates, who are to be elected to sit in the National Assembly. It also comprises of a Geographical Constituency List, which must see at least 150 to 175 nominators from each of the 10 Constituencies (Regions). The list should also include no more than 45 candidates, and must have a one third representation of women for the collective regions. Each political party must contest in at least six geographical constituencies, and in at least 13 of the 25 seats available.

With regards to the Regional Elections List, only the Regional Democratic Council List is being presented. This list must have 150-175 nominators, who must be residing in the region for which they placed their names. It must have 12 to 36 candidates who also reside in the region.