Campaigning for local government elections started too close to polling day and this may have contributed to the low voter turnout at last Friday’s historic Local Government Elections (LGE). However, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said yesterday that it was better than anticipated and expressed certainty that the next elections will see higher numbers.
Among the contributing factors for low voter turnout he cited were complaints of inadequate voter education and intensive campaigning starting too late.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference at the Ministry of Presidency, Harmon said that historically at LGE the turnout has been lower than for Regional and National Elections.
He said the vibrancy of the debates and challenges from independent groups, political parties and other individuals, all helped to energize the population but “this might have come a little bit late.”
He said there were many who felt that the process was not necessary as they had just voted in national elections and already had the government of their choice. As such they didn’t need to vote again.
However, he feels that once persons would have assessed the output of the winning candidates, more of them would come out in three years’ time when the next elections are held.
“It is really a fresh start almost where Local Government Elections are concerned… So the low turnout has been attributed to a number of things,” he stressed adding that his experience has shown that it is in the last few weeks of this elections “that people get busy.”
Meanwhile Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said it was a bit premature to pronounce on the level of voter turnout as no official numbers had been released by the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom). (Numbers were released by Gecom later yesterday, confirming a low voter turnout.) He said that on the Essequibo Coast where he spent most of the day after voting in the Eccles/Ramsburg NDC, the turnout was close to 40%. “If indeed the overall turnout is in that vicinity or probably even a little higher…I would see that as a very high turnout,” he said adding that at the 1994 LGE the turnout was around 32%.
He said that even if the numbers are below 50%, it is an indication that people are interested in the process and still want to participate.
Head of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) electoral observer mission, Captain Gerry Gouveia had told Stabroek News that in Lethem and areas in regions 5, 6, and 7 the turnout was very low. The PSC had observed the elections in these areas.
He attributed the situation to poor campaigning and lack of knowledge on the part of the voters.
“Gecom tried very hard to sensitise and educate persons but the population did not pay attention as much they should and I don’t think people understand the importance of local government elections in their life,” he said.
He added that though Gecom did a hell of a job, the candidates didn’t do a good job campaigning and making persons familiar with them and their plans.
He noted that he lives in Bel Air Park and didn’t know his constituency’s candidates. “I saw several strange faces on the ballot paper today, as I’m sure many other voters did,” he added.
In Berbice, there were reports that at 1 pm on polling day under 100 persons had cast their ballots out of 1,569 registered in the Number Four constituency. There were similar reports from some polling places on the Essequibo Coast and in the city.
