Although no formal decision has yet been made, APNU and the AFC are likely to contest local government elections (LGE) next year as an alliance and Deputy Mayor of George-town Patricia Chase-Green has signalled her interest in running for the Mayoral post.
“We will, yes,” elections point person for APNU, Amna Ally told Stabroek News yesterday when asked if APNU and the AFC will becontesting as a single unit at the March 18 local government elections (LGE). “Certainly,” she responded when questioned on whether the coalition will be contesting in all areas.
APNU and AFC formed an alliance to unseat the PPP/C at general elections on May 11.
General Secretary of the Alliance For Change (AFC) David Patterson told Stabroek News yesterday that “now that the date has been named, within two weeks a decision will be made.” He pointed out that the parties already meet weekly to discuss coalition concerns and the impending LGE will be at the forefront of discussion this week.
According to Patterson, there are disparate ideas within the party but upon further discussion of relevant LGE issues, the party will come to a consensus on whether coalescing is the way forward at the local level. He said the party has been reaching out to communities that have shown AFC support in the past and will continue to dialogue within the party’s strongholds to measure how people feel about a coalition at the local government level.
On Friday, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan announced that local government elections, which have been delayed for almost two decades, would be run off on March 18th next year. The polls, which will be held in the nine towns and 62 Neighbourhood Demo-cratic Councils (NDCs), have not been held since 1994, although the constitution stipulates that they are to be held every three years.
For the first time, Lethem, Bartica and Mabaruma will have mayors. The rest of the municipalities are Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Rose Hall, Corriverton, Anna Regina and Linden.
The opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has already signalled that it will be contesting in all the various areas with former President Donald Ramotar stating yesterday that the party is preparing the groundwork for a victorious sweep.
“Of course we will be in all municipalities but I must say that we haven’t come yet to any final decision but my thinking, following the discussions we are having is that yes, we will be in every municipality. You know, that is unless we feel there is some area that they are doing very well but at the moment we will contest all, all,” Ramotar told Stabroek News.
This newspaper understands that since the PPP/C’s defeat at the General Elections last May, it immediately began the groundwork for LGE as they are determined to win a majority of the municipalities. The party has been sending representatives across the country to pair up with community leaders and has been interfacing with residents in their preparations.
One executive member of the party has said that the PPP is determined to secure a win that “will leave the APNU and AFC in shock.”
Meantime, Chase-Green is aspiring to be Mayor of Georgetown and she told Stabroek News that she has signalled her intentions to the APNU+AFC. “Well you know I am with a party and I can’t just say I will contest for Georgetown but I have signalled to them that I am interested and let’s just wait and see,” she said.
Businessman Clinton Urling who had previously lobbied heavily for LGE, told Stabroek News yesterday that he has “no interest” in contesting the LGE but his decision is not final. “Currently, I have not thought of entering the race,” the former PPP/C candidate for general elections and founder of the Blue CAPS non-governmental organisation, said. Urling left Blue CAPS when he became a PPP/C candidate.
Urling when asked specifically, did not confirm or deny being approached by any of the established political parties to throw himself into the Georgetown mayoral race. He said that should he consider, he would immediately look to win a councillor’s seat for his constituency within George-town and would then need the endorsement of the party which holds the majority of seats on the Mayor and City Council.
Urling said that he is always open to discussion with regards to elections but he has not made up his mind as yet.
It is unlikely that the PPP/C will endorse Urling. The businessman spoke out after APNU+AFC won the May 11 General and Regional Election and criticised former President Bharrat Jagdeo, partially attributing the PPP/C’s loss to him. Jagdeo is now Leader of the Opposition.
Urling, in a letter to the Stabroek News in May, had said that it will be a difficult task for the PPP/C to change if it continues on the current path with Jagdeo as de facto leader. Moreover, it would be difficult to attract, and in his case retain, the type of people who can help reinvent the party, Urling, who joined the party’s campaign several weeks before the elections, wrote.
“Plainly stated, the party has to move on without Jagdeo if it is to ever recapture its former political prestige,” he asserted.
As the Founder of Blue Caps, Urling has heavily lobbied for LGE. He had said of the organisation that “recognising the dire need for local government elections we made the decision to make the issue our principal and only focus at the moment.”
Civil society activist Mark Benschop has long signalled interest in running for Mayor of Georgetown.
Elections for the 62 NDCs are likely to see the efflorescence of civic groups running to control their councils. A large number of these surfaced at the 1994 elections.
