Criticising the former government for its failure to hold local government elections for over 20 years, President David Granger yesterday assured that the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is committed to ensuring that there is continuous democratic renewal of local democracy and community development.
“Our commitment is the manifestation of our party’s resolve to empower citizens to take control of their communities. We shall return to the polls on 12th of November, 2018, the first time in decades that local government elections will be held when lawfully due, to reaffirm our democracy,” Granger told a sizeable audience gathered to partake in a flag raising ceremony and breakfast in celebration of the party’s 61st anniversary.
In his remarks, Granger, who is also the Leader of the PNCR, said that aside from its birth anniversary, the party was celebrating the re-establishment and reaffirmation of local democracy in Guyana. He said the PNCR, consistent with its constitution and its principles, restored local government elections on March 18th, 2016, ten months after entering office and 22 years after the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration last conducted local government elections.
The PNCR is a part of the governing coalition partner, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)
Granger stressed that the party’s commitment to the conduct of regular local government elections “reflects” its obligation to the promotion of local democracy. During his brief presentation, Granger also reminded of all of the party’s contributions, which includes the establishment of four new towns, Bartica, Mabaruma, Lethem and Mahdia; the increase of neighbourhoods in order to extend the area of the country under democratic governance; and the establishment of Local Government Commission, in October last. He said they signify “our commitment to regulating and reinforcing local democracy.” He reminded, too, of the National Conference of Local Organs in July, which brought together for the first time in decades Chairmen and Councillors to discuss how their communities could be improved. Most of all, he said, “we have abolished the obnoxious Interim Management Committees invented by the PPP regime. We have done so to protect democratic organs from central government interference and abuse.”
Granger recalled how the former PPP Local Government Ministers employed the “haughty and high handed” approach by removing Neighbour-hood Democratic Cou-ncils and municipalities and installing Interim Management Committees without even bothering to consult the local residents. “Citizens all over this country… protested against the hand-picked PPP-installed Interim Management Committees. We have made IMCs history. Our party is proud to have ended the denial of citizens’ rights to elect their own local and municipal leaders. Our party is proud to have restored local democracy to Guyana,” he said to applause.
Granger noted that the party celebrates its birth anniversary with “a sense of satisfaction…with the success of its efforts to make Guyana a better place for everyone.”
In going forward into local government elections, he implored all those gathered to “let us take this spirit of struggle to ensure that there is victory, not only with the party, but also for the Partnership and most of all for the citizens of Guyana.”
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the PNCR, Volda Lawrence, in her remarks, said that on its birth anniversary the party has “a golden opportunity” to stop, take stock and consolidate its pledge to intensify efforts to strengthen the party’s membership and to reinforce the vision of the “Good Life” for all Guyanese.
She said that the legacy left by the late founder leader and first executive president Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham should be used as an inspiration. “Let us be inspired by him and the many dedicated members who walked that long, audacious road, sometimes tortuous, so that today we can proudly acknowledge our resilience and speak with pride of the many accomplishments that the party has achieved,” she said.
Lawrence, who is also the Minister of Public Health, said that 41 years ago at the party’s second biennial congress, Burnham spoke of consolidating the party’s base by bring together other sections of the working class, including groups and smaller political parties on board in order to achieve national unity. “Today… our party can lay claim to fulfilling that promise, since we are partners in the coalition government with a vision of eventually forging national unity,” she added.
