-says will lobby for better opportunities for NA youths

CHAIRMAN of A New United Guyana (ANUG), Dr. Mark France, will be contesting the June 12 Local Government Election (LGE) as an independent candidate, vying for a seat at the New Amsterdam Town Council.

Dr. France told this newspaper on Sunday that he intends to address unemployment and drug abuse among youths in the community. With a game plan to embark on a number of educational outreaches, Dr. France hopes to edify his constituents about opportunities they can exploit.

“Guyana is moving ahead and Berbice especially where we are having the new sports facility being built, there will be avenues for persons to get employment so I will be looking to educate them on those opportunities,” he said.

He further hopes to advance the technical and vocational trainings that are being offered in the community in an effort to encourage more youths to apply for jobs within the oil and gas industry.

“There is scope for a lot of technical capabilities, that is where I want to focus my energy, so that they can have skills to be employed in the oil and gas sector. It’s more about educating the youths and that is where I feel we are lacking.”

Meanwhile, he intends to address the issue of drug abuse from a medical standpoint.

“One of the other issues that we have is the high drug abuse, especially in the young male population. I will be targetting that as a medical professional.”

Although Dr. France is contesting the elections as an independent candidate, he disclosed that the executive members of ANUG, along with the members of their joinder party, The New Movement (TNM), has agreed on a collective approach in representing their respective constituencies.

“We have had discussions with other persons in the two groupings to look at the constituencies to see how best they can form small groups that can do bidding for contracts in their areas and the region as whole. For example, the grass cutting and other services that are put out there for tender, they can look and get those so that the monies are circulated back into the communities.”
Dr France was recently elected as the Chairman of the ANUG party; he was among new office bearers of the Executive Committee elected for the year 2022-2023 when the party held its Third Annual National Conference of Members last November.

The small party was founded in January 2019 and contested the 2020 general elections with Ralph Ramkarran as its presidential candidate.

Following the 2020 polls, the party through an alliance with TNM and the Liberty and Justice Party shared a single seat in the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has approved a total of 62 symbols from parties, groups and individuals, who have shown interest contesting in the polls.

June 12, 2023, is the date set for the conduct of LGEs. The date was chosen based on the work plan that was submitted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall.

Meanwhile Nominations Day has been set for April 17.