THE President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and First Vice President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), Komal Chand, yesterday again called for the hosting of local government elections.Chand pointed out that the elections are long overdue and are important to the nation’s democracy.
He was speaking at FITUG’s annual May Day rally, which culminated at the National Park, Georgetown.
According to him, local democracy represents a major decision-making process, especially in matters affecting the daily lives of the people.
“For too long, local government elections have been withheld,” Chand said.
Guyana is expected to host these elections on or before August 1, 2014, following a vote in the National Assembly, after rigorous debates over the importance of local government elections to the democracy.
The National Assembly passed the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which states that elections must be held on or before August 1, 2014.The August date was made via an amendment to the Bill, proposed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
Both the APNU and the ruling party, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), have indicated their readiness to go to the polls.
Local Government elections were not held in Guyana since 1994. Prior to that, these elections were last held in 1970. Subsequent to 1994, the elections could not be conducted because of the coincidence with the general and regional elections of 1997.

(Vanessa Narine)