MAYOR Winifred Haywood and her deputy, Mr. Wainwright McIntosh were nominated unopposed to continue serving the township of New Amsterdam township in their respective posts for another year. Haywood has pledged to move the Council forward with the support of its councillors as well as the citizens of New Amsterdam. The mayor and her deputy are both veteran educators, having collectively served for over 55 years within the Ministry of Education. The election process, which started minutes after the scheduled 10:00hrs it was due to commence, saw observers being drawn from the Guyana Police Force and the Regional Democratic Council. Earlier in the day, Returning Officer and Acting Town Clerk, Ms. Kerryanne Edwards informed those present that she was in receipt of excuses from two councillors, namely, Dr. Orville Grayson Halley and Mr. Quacy Isaacs, the representatives of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) respectively. Consequently, those present opted to vote by a show of hands, moments after Councillor Keith Mayers moved to nominate Heywood as mayor. The vote was supported by Councillors Sheanta Lambert and Pollyann Shultz, and shortly thereafter, Councillor McIntosh asked that nominations be closed. No sooner had he done so than the elected mayor, ably supported by fellow A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillor, Mr. Kirt Fraser, nominated him to return as her deputy.
The PPP/C’s Councillor Zabarally Armogan requested that nominations be closed, even as he pledged his party’s full support.