…APNU hails youth participation

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has hailed Monday’s Local Government Elections as a victory for democracy and saluted the many young people who challenged for leadership positions in their respective parties and groups.

In a statement Thursday night the partnership said that for the second time since the government was elected to office, “we have had Local Government Elections as constitutionally due.” These elections, the APNU said are very important to all Guyanese, noting that some people regard elections as an opportunity to flaunt their personalities; some have proclaimed that it is an exercise in ethnicity, “but we in the APNU say it was an exercise in democracy. “

The partnership said Local Government Elections on Monday 12th November were not only the duty of our government, but also were a victory for democracy and an opportunity for inclusionary governance. “On Monday 12th November democracy won; the people of Guyana won,” APNU declared.

It added that it is no secret when in Opposition, the APNU had placed the question of local government and the return of local democracy at the centerpiece of our efforts, reminding that it was the then Leader of the Opposition, David Granger, who had personally led picketing exercises calling for the holding of Local Government Elections. “APNU struggled on the streets, in the regions, and in the National Assembly for the restoration of local democracy. We are very encouraged by the number of young persons who came out to challenge for leadership in their communities.

We believe that this is a very positive step and that, as partnership; an administration, as a government, we wish to embrace all of these persons irrespective of which political party, group or where they came from. We hope that they will continue to be part of that process to ensure that the communities where they contested are properly managed,” the partnership stated.

The APNU thanked all Guyanese for what it described as the purposeful and peaceful manner with which they participated in the elections. “We thank all candidates who competed for office. We thank all political parties, groups and individuals for their participation. We thank the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and its staff for their preparation and supervision of the elections.

I want to specifically thank all the campaign managers, polling and counting agents, field workers, runners and candidates who made it possible for the holding of Local Government Elections. We, all of us Guyanese, can now look forward with confidence to a new era of democratic governance of our country.”