GUYANESE will go to the polls on Friday, 18th March, to decide on their representatives in the Local Government Elections (LGE). This year’s elections are setting new grounds, and it is hoped that new standards will also be set. The last time Guyanese enjoyed the right to vote in electing their local representatives was in 1994. Voting is the most basic and fundamental form of democracy in our government system.This year will see a hybrid electoral system comprising of Proportional Representation (PR) and First-Past-the-Post (FPTP). Though it has been said that there has not been enough public education on this new system, all are called on to participate; and it may be best at this stage to know which group/party or constituency candidate is deserving of your votes, and cast your ballot accordingly.

The 2014/15 round of the Americas Barometer survey by the Latin America Public Opinion Project shows Guyanese having a low interest in politics. Out of 28 Latin American and Caribbean countries, Guyana placed last, with only a 28.5 interest out of a maximum of 100. While different views may be proffered as to what is responsible for such a low number, a couple of evident factors cannot be ignored.

Guyanese have been socialized — for the want of a better word — to believe that after they have cast a ballot, they have no right or responsibility to stay engaged in the day-to-day management of the business of the state and their communities. The Guyana Constitution, which is the nation’s supreme law and the foundation upon which governance evolved, has for years been demonised on partisan political interest; abused by the self-serving, who claim they are acting in concert with the instrument; or recognised only when it suits the interest of the elected individual of political party on given matters.

Citizens have been made to feel impotent in influencing conditions in their lives through the political process. It has been said that the President, and by extension the Cabinet, is above the law, using Article 182 in the constitution, which grants civil and criminal immunity to the President in the exercise of his duties. Though his thinking has been challenged on the premise that the President and Cabinet cannot swear to uphold the law and be in violation of the law, and that this article speaks to immunity in the sense of the President not being distracted with legal challenges in the execution of his official duties, the former position is engrained.

Another factor that may inform low political interest is the arrogance and corrupt practices of elected officials, which causes citizens to think that politics is a dirty game to shy away from. The 2015 General and Regional Elections, according to GECOM, saw 412,012 persons casting their ballots. This represented a turnout of 72% of the 570,708 registered voters. These statistics tell us that Guyanese recognise the importance and power of the vote. What needs to happen now is that this vote must translate into benefits for themselves and their communities. Achieving this requires the citizens staying engaged, and LGE presents new and additional opportunities for the deepening and strengthening of democracy.

This grassroots process gives each community the opportunity to identify and elect its representatives, guided not only by political parties and groups, but by members of the respective communities. FPTP presents opportunity for communities to elect persons whom they feel can best represent their interests, irrespective of the candidate’s political association/choice at the national level.

Ours is a representative democracy. This means that those who are elected are granted a privilege by the people to represent the people’s interests. That is why it is important to know what the candidate, political party or group is offering; and after voting, ensuring that your vote delivers improvement in your livelihood. Given that Local Government is governance from the bottom up, here is not only where regional and national leaders are born or groomed, but where also the people can work together in developing and executing programmes, and submit proposals to strengthen the administration of their committees, which can be sent to the regional and national levels to be implemented into Government Order, improve the LGE Laws, and strengthen the other tiers and branches of government.

Approximately 65 percent of the population is 40 years and younger. Many will be voting in the LGE for the first time. Local Government matters, and the 40 and younger generation, who in the national and regional elections came out overwhelming and called on the society to “Vote like a boss,” have the opportunity to repeat and strengthen this feat by not only casting a ballot come 18th March, but staying engaged by holding elected representatives accountable and ensuring that the programmes in their communities are conceptualised and developed by the residents.