By Fareeza Haniff

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is finally in the Local Government Elections (LGE) mode. It officially launched its Local Government Elections campaign on Saturday in Georgetown.The Party decided to launch its Georgetown candidates in its strong hold, Kitty; however the event was marred by a poor turnout. Several of the candidates were present and spoke to the Guyana Chronicle about their plans to reform the capital city.

Businessman Bhisram Kuppen is representing Constituency 7 (Bourda Lacytown, Stabroek Central). According to him, he has not seen any development in Georgetown in the last 19 years.
Kuppen promises that if he is elected, “real changes will come to Georgetown.”

“We know currently that the Mayor and the Town Clerk have embarked on many projects, but they seem geared to bamboozle the people of Georgetown. For all this time, they have not accomplished anything,” the businessman said.

He also wants members of the City Constabulary to be properly trained, so that they do not “harass vendors”; and for City Hall to be more business-friendly.

“I am going out there because I’ve seen the city; I’ve been a businessman for a very long time. I want to see real changes in the city that is deserving of the capital city; it doesn’t look like a capital right now.”

Kuppen is a bar owner who admittedly is involved in Real Estate and Technology.

The Guyana Chronicle also spoke to 37–year–old Shazad Sookram, who is a candidate residing in Kitty. He believes that Georgetown has been neglected over the years, and wants City Hall to become more accountable.

“I’ve seen the beauty and elegance of Georgetown, the warmth of the people, and I’ve seen the neglect that the City Council has done to Georgetown; the garbage piling up the place. They say Georgetown is able to breathe again, but at this Local Government Elections we want to take back our city; and as a youth and as a young person, I would like to play a part in bringing about a change in my city,” Sookram said.

He also plans to alleviate flooding in the markets.

Meanwhile, another candidate, Victor Sobers, is contesting Constituency 1 (Tiger Bay, South Cummingsburg). Sobers told this newspaper that his main aim is to tackle school drop-outs, specifically males. “I would like to see young boys go to school,” Sobers said.

He is of the view that the male students should be provided with incentives in the form of trophies for good performance.

Sobers, a manager at a fishing complex, also plans to have the religious community play a more active role in the lives of youths.

This newspaper also spoke with 20-–year–old Michael Bhagwandeen, who is contesting the Riverview/Independence Boulevard constituency. Bhagwandeen said he will push for better security in his community. He pointed out that a lot of robberies occur in the nights due to the lack of street lights.

“We want proper maintenance of roads, drainage, and more facilities for youths, so they wouldn’t do drugs and stuff,” the young man said.

Bhagwandeen is a student of the University of Guyana, where he is studying economics and business.

Another young candidate, 31–year–old IT Consultant Phillip Inshanally, is contesting the Meadow Bank, Houston, McDoom and Agricola constituency.

He told this newspaper that he plans to “clean up the environment and create recreational facilities.”

“We need a permanent maintenance, because the maintenance right now, it sucks. We want better garbage collection. We want three months’ amnesty for delinquent taxpayers, more social programmes for the youths and more accountability at City Hall, and a community centre for skills training.”

According to Inshanally, there should be incentives for enhancement of the community, along with a village office to manage the community.

Representing the Kitty constituency is 24–year–old Nalissa Ferguson, who said the drainage and roads in her community are “terrible.” She wants to remedy this situation, and hopes to install some street lights and a playground.

Other Georgetown candidates of the PPP are Ramdyal Persaud, Maryln Kennedy, Kheme Sharma, Ashmeed Hassan, Nandanie Flores and Robeson Benn Jr.

Local Government Elections will be held in Guyana on March 18, after an absence of 22 years. The two main parties contesting are the PPP and the APNU+AFC. There are also several small parties and independent candidates contesting the elections.