—root for common cause

By Alva Solomon
THE candidates contesting this year’s Local Government Elections on the East Coast of Demerara may be representing different groups, but the central intent of those candidates is to work together at the level of the communities.

This intent was also reflected at the Lichfield Primary School in West Berbice where candidates for the two major political parties contesting for seats on the Tempe/Seafield local authority presented a list of candidates to the elections officers there.
Yesterday, the candidates were out early to present their lists to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) offices at communities along the East Coast.
At the offices visited by this newspaper, mainly adults and elderly persons were on hand to present their lists of candidates to the elections officers.
At the Better Hope/La Bonne Intention (LBI) office, the candidates presented their lists around 10:00hrs when the offices were officially open. The two main political parties, the APNU/AFC governing party and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as well as an individual group presented lists at GECOM’s Better Hope offices.

READY TO WORK
The PPP/C representative for the area, Zaman Sawh, told the Guyana Chronicle that the party is ready to work with the local government authorities if elected to serve on the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
He said that the full support and cooperation between both sides will augur well for the communities in the area. “We want to improve the maintenance, sanitation and system of collecting garbage, and better maintaiun public schools in the area,” he said.
The party presented a list of 33 candidates to GECOM, with funding provided by the party as well as locals within the community.
Further up the coast at GECOM’s Annex at Coldingen, candidates were prompt in presenting their lists to elections staff there.
Up at the Novar Primary School in the Mahaicony area, the two main political parties and two individual groups presented lists of

candidates to the GECOM office for the Mahaicony-Abary local authority.
And at the Seafield/Tempe local authority offices, located at the Lichfield Primary School, the representatives of the two major political parties were making last-minute additions to their lists of candidates when this newspaper visited around 13:00hrs yesterday. Both parties signalled their intention of working for the betterment of the communities under the local authority. Those communities include, Number 40, Number 41, Tempe, Seafield, Britannia, Cottage, Phoenix, Ross and Yeoville.
Shirley Reid, of the APNU/AFC, told this newspaper that the party submitted a list of 31 candidates for the eight constituencies in the area.
“We plan to work to develop the area and our villages; we have to look at lights, water, training facilities for the youth, and drainage and irrigation in the area,” Reid said, adding that there has always been a local governance structure in place in the area, but that it has been inactive as a result of migration of persons from the area among other reasons.

LOTS TO DO
According to Reid, everyone residing in the area is looking forward to the elections, since governance at the local level will be more effective. “The Tempe/Seafield office at Britannia doesn’t even have a washroom in the office; we believe we can get to work better for the village and fix these little things,” she said.
Standing outside the primary school offices and eager to present her list was the PPP/C’s Vidyawattie Balram, who told this newspaper that the candidates are ready to work, once elected to serve the communities .
The party is contesting seven constituencies in that local authority, and Balram believes the development of those communities requires a lot of work from the community representatives. “We have a lot of things to get in place: Cross streets, drains, trenches… Other areas in the communities will be looked after, once we get the NDC working,” she promised.
She was at the office since 06:30hrs yesterday, Balram said, noting that the GECOM officers were circumspect as she awaited clarifications to complete her list.
Phillip Champayne, a senior citizen of the area told this newspaper that local government elections will effectively develop the community. Seated outside the Lichfield Primary School in the hot sun, he said that LGE will allow the people to manage the affairs of the communities “in a direct way.”
He expressed hope that those persons who will be elected to serve the Tempe/Seafield local authority “understand what local government really means, and the responsibilities that come with it.”
Local Government Elections will be held on March 18 this year. The governing APNU+AFC administration, as well as the Opposition PPP/C are contesting the elections, while other independent groups have also presented their plans to improve their respective communities.