…Lindeners want more say in choosing LGE candidates

RESIDENTS and Community Development Council (CDC) Chairmen of communities in Linden are in disagreement with the strategy used by political parties to choose constituency candidates. With limited or no consultation being held in constituencies, candidates are basically hand-picked by party leaders appointed as campaign managers and this, they say, is defying the fundamental objectives of local government elections.

The residents believe that campaign managers and regional party leaders should take the back seat in the process and allow the residents to do the talking, since LGE is about empowerment of the people. CDC Chairman of Wisroc, Collis Gifth, believes that party managers are micro- managing everything and not giving residents the say that they deserve. Whatever say is actually given, he described it as cosmetic and does not bear a full representation of what the residents want.

“It does not work for political development, these people are micro-managing everything that happens in the local party and it does not give the local representatives a say as to what they think is in the best interest of the communities. With political parties imposing a candidate it is defeating the whole purpose of local government elections because all the major decisions that have to be made, the parties’ central executive decides how things should happen,” he commented.

Gifth is of the opinion that the candidates are given a position to represent the party and not the community, and believes that the community should highlight someone who is reputable enough, capable and makes strong representation on behalf of the community; the only way that can be done is if they go back into the communities, not for a show to whip up votes but to let the people choose.

Anthony Roberts, Chairman of the Victory Valley CDC, believes that the way the system is set up the youths are left behind, and those who are nominated are friends of the nominators and not who the community really wants. He said that the culture in Linden needs to change holistically and residents need to be more involved in the process.

“I believe this thing turn a friend thing, and a pick and choose thing, they need people who got the courage to move the people and those persons are left behind, the officials need to be more mature, must be able to take criticism and still do their work professionally, the culture in Linden have to change,” he said.

THEY DON’T NEED TO BE UPSET
Meanwhile, community activist Denton Osbourne said that residents need not be upset with the process taken by political parties, since LGE allows for individuals, NGOs and CDCs to run for their constituencies as well. He believes that more should be done by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to sensitise residents on the process and how it allows them to not be dependent at all on major political parties.

“If they are people in the communities who wish to participate, they have an option of running for themselves or running as individuals. All they have to do is give in their symbols to GECOM and express their desire to run or to put out their own candidates,” he said. Osbourne, however, reflected that in the 2016 LGE, political parties nominated and though some individuals and independent groups did contend, much success was not mustered for them. In Linden, only one seat out of 16, was awarded to the independent group, Linden 2025.

He agreed that persons may have a bias for political parties whom they would have supported during general elections and that culture may never change, but opined that one major factor that can change the culture is more sensitisation and support on the part of GECOM. “Or perhaps they choose not to run as individuals, CDC’s or NGO’s because they want the political party they support to appear united in the coming local government election in preparation for 2020,” he said.

Individuals may be aware they can contests but may need assistance with getting themselves ready and this, he believes, is lacking greatly.
President David Granger on Sunday at the Cuffy 250 Forum, said that the LGE was held to empower and energise communities and the lives of the residents. Residents can now breathe a breath of fresh air, as their communities are no longer dictated by officials at the level of central government.

Residents, he said, can now get into the habit of running their own communities since his administration made Interim Management Committees (IMCs) a thing of the past. Communities, he said, should not be dictated by the powers that be. “I will have Local Government Elections (LGE) on the 12th November 2018, so that people could get into the habit of running their own communities,” Granger noted. LGE was held in November of 2016 after two decades and will be held on the 12th November, 2018. Political parties have already commenced their campaigns and the choosing of constituency candidates.