– party refuses to divulged name of the pollster
A POLL commissioned by opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) shows the group as the preferred party in the 2011 General and Regional Elections. APNU, at a news conference yesterday, said the poll – which was conducted by an unnamed independent Caribbean based consultancy firm – also indicates a significant high voter turnout at the polls this year.
APNU member Dr David Pollard told reporters that “the results also reveal our Presidential and Prime Ministerial Candidates enjoy a very high standing among the electorate with a great demand for them to visit several communities.”
But despite this seemingly positive outlook, Dr Pollard stated that APNU will not become complacent as “things can change a great deal,” by November 28. According to him, APNU will focus on areas and communities where greater effort should be concentrated; and improved means of communication over the next week.
Responding to questions from the media, Professor Clive Thomas explained that the poll was conducted as a framework to guide the APNU campaign and, as such, details that could help competitors will not be revealed.
“We are the leading party at more than 40 percent…I don’t think it is fair for us to tell you the margin of difference between us and the other parties because we do not want to create an incentive for them or a disincentive for ourselves,” Thomas explained.
In the meantime, he claimed that about 30 percent recognized the “other party” as leading.
The coalition said the poll was conducted among 935 persons in six of the ten Administrative Regions (Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten)
According to Dr Pollard the distribution of the surveys was 35.6% in Region 4; 21.8% in Region 6; 10.8% in Regions 2&3; 10.6% in Region 10 and 10.4% in Region 5.
He added that the population of those sampled was 34.5% in the age group 26 – 40; 29.4% in age group 41 – 60; 22% in the age group 18 – 25; and 12.7% in the age group 60+ with the gender distribution being equal.
“The racial makeup of the vast majority of the respondents, as determined by them, was 37% African- Guyanese; 35% Indian- Guyanese; 6% Amerindian; and 20% Mixed,” the long time supporter of the Peoples National Congress/Reform further stated.
According to APNU, the polls also indicated that participation in the forthcoming elections is expected to be high at 87.5 %. This compares with a voter turnout of 69%; 92%; 88% and 80% respectively for the 2006, 2001, 1997 and 1992 general and regional elections.
APNU is made up of political parties: PNC/R who got about 33 percent of the votes in the 2006 elections, the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) which did not participate and other minority parties such as the Justice For All Party (JFAP) as well as interest groups, civic organizations and Individuals.
A recent poll by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) shows the incumbent People’s Progress Party Civic (PPP/C) as still having majority lead despite a few defecting to minority opposition, the Alliance for Change (AFC).