AS the International community continues to advocate the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) in Guyana, U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway said if government requests assistance or support for the hosting of such elections then it will be granted.“Right now Guyana has a lot of goodwill in the international community and having local government elections will cement the goodwill that has been created over the last few months,” the newly accredited ambassador disclosed.
Adding that he does not know the amount of support the U.S. will offer Guyana, the U.S. Envoy said: “I don’t know the exact amount but we have always supported national election…Guyana has not have local elections in a long time so it’s hard to say what we are going to support but if the government asks I’m sure we can find some support and we will also be helping if the government asks us to try and convince other donors where appropriate.”
Guyana has not held Local Government Elections since 1994 even though it is supposed to be held every four years. In the lead up to the General and Regional Elections of 2011, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration promised to ensure the holding of Local Government Elections by 2012.
However, after the Party formed the first minority government in Guyana, the then President Donald Ramotar decided that it was “risky” to hold Local Government Elections while his party had such a political standing.
At that time, David Granger, who was the then Leader of the Opposition, led several picket exercises calling for the holding of the Local Government Elections. He had promised that he will hold Local Government Elections when he got into office. Granger now heads an APNU+AFC coalition government. Recently, the Carter Center released a report on its observer mission to Guyana during the 2015 General and Regional Elections.
The Center said, “Guyana has not held Local Government Elections since 1994, and the repercussions for development and the ability of government to serve its people are visible at the local level throughout the coastal region. The government should recommit to holding Local Government Elections utilising the legislation that was approved in the last parliament as the foundation for a new consensus law.”