Dear Editor,
The PPP seems poised to capture a historic landslide victory in the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE). The PNC, battered by a leadership crisis and lacklustre campaigns, has already lost dismally, unable to field candidates in many areas. The icing on the cake for the PPP will be victories in Georgetown, New Amsterdam and Linden. All things considered, I would say these three municipalities would be better off under councils in which the PPP controls a majority. Someone said “the PPP at its worst will still be better than the PNC at its best.”
Georgetown under continuous PNC control has been an abysmal failure. Their trademark has been a stink and dutty, congested city where lawlessness abounds. Had it not been for ongoing rescues by the PPP Government, the city would have collapsed. Central Government has had to intervene and build/repair roads, do flood abatement, do ongoing bailouts and pay the city’s debts for trash collection, etc. City Hall became decrepit in front of our own eyes, and everything needs upgrades and fixing. Transparency and accountability have been missing. If there is a PPP-controlled Council, you can expect that the Government will make sure the Mayor and Council are well supported and resourced to show that under the PPP, Georgetown made dramatic progress. That seems to be a win-win for the citizens and the city. What is there to lose? Now, might be Georgetown’s best chance to change the direction of their city, under PPP leadership. While there are a few independent candidates worthy of consideration, it’s a fight between the PNC and PPP. So, the people of Georgetown must consider if they want more of the same or if they want dramatic change under a PPP-controlled Council with a diverse list of Candidates. In Guyana, the Government plays an oversized role in the economy. Alignment with central Government is essential for resource acquisition. Already the Government is involved in numerous projects across the City, and these are likely to accelerate dramatically under a PPP City Council.
The same can be said for the towns of Linden and New Amsterdam. The PPP has been working valiantly to woo these two towns with several projects and winning new supporters. The PPP Candidates seem quite energized and are working the streets to win hearts and minds. The PPP claims it is winning over many PNC supporters in these areas. Truth be told, the Government had been running as fast as possible to build roads, bridges, parks, health clinics, and various infrastructural projects. People are seeing roads where there were no roads before. They are seeing bridges being repaired or built. They are now getting Titles for land, getting house lots and assistance to build their homes. The 10-days job programme seems to be a big hit with people who did not have a full-time job before. Now, the Government has announced they will give out cash grants just days before the LGE elections. My prediction is that if it does not win outright, the PPP will win more seats in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, and Linden. The voters have the final say. We will know on June 12.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
