Granger pushes further for LGE, says PPP and Ramotar are “overdue”

Granger pushes further for LGE, says PPP and Ramotar are “overdue”

Leader of the Opposition David Granger has indicated that his party is ready for Local Government Elections and he intends to continue pressuring the administration to ensure that there is not another delay in the hosting of Local Government Polls.

Despite its many concerns about the state of the city and other communities across Guyana, the governing People’s Progressive Party has not called Local Government Elections since 1994. That 20 year delay has triggered calls from Opposition groups, Civil Society and the International Community for local government elections to be held.

Opposition Leader David Granger on Friday said his party’s calls for local elections is nothing new and the President must understand that he needs to respect the Constitution and the rights of Guyanese.

The APNU Leader indicated that his party launched its local government campaign back in 2013 and has been moving into various communities to drum up support. He said all across Guyana there is the need for local democracy to be realised and the APNU, he said, is ready to lead the charge.

“The APNU is getting ready for local government elections and we will hold this government to account to the people of this country who are calling for local government elections”, Granger told his Friday press briefing.

Quizzed about whether his party was sending mixed signals by calling for local government elections at the same time that it is supporting a no confidence motion that will lead to national elections, Granger said the two issues complement each other and there is no jostling of the issues. He said he knows his supporters and what they want and they want local government elections like the rest of Guyana.  The Opposition Leader said his APNU team will give its full support to the AFC’s no confidence motion when it comes up for debate and passage in the National Assembly.

The Opposition APNU, has already started nationwide protest action to bring attention to the need for local government elections. He said the protests will be lawful and will highlight the issues of concern to many of the people who are affected by the delay in hosting local government polls.

The Private Sector Commission has expressed some worry about the protest action. Granger said he did not know he needed to seek the approval of the Private Sector Commission for any protest and the Private Sector did not appear worried about protests earlier in the year when the PPP was “trucking in protesters from all over the place” to picket the National Budget and the National Assembly.

President Donald Ramotar has not been offering any new thoughts about the need to set a date for local government elections. He is still to sign into law all of the local government amendment bills that would set the pace for local polls.

 

Filed” 20th September 2014

 

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