by Kurt Campbell

President David Granger, at a press briefing on Saturday, expressed satisfaction with Friday’s Local Government Polls and the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) management of the process.

Mr. Granger did not seem too bothered with the countrywide reports of low voter turn out and neither were Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan and State Minister Joseph Harmon who both shared the press conference with the President.

The President reasoned that fewer voters were eligible to vote in Friday’s elections than the general elections and said that must be a point for consideration . Reference was also made to the low voter turn out reported in other countries during the hosting of local elections.

Harmon said even if the government has declared Friday a holiday it wasn’t likely to have a big effect on voter turn out. He pointed to the recent general elections in Canada where the Prime Minister was elected with a voter turnout of less than 40%.

According to the President Granger, the elections are in no way a victory for any party or group but a victory for the people.

“The local government elections were not only the duty of the government but were a victory for democracy and an opportunity for its exclusionary governance,” he said.

Mr. Granger boasted that the elections signalled a return to constitutionality after a lapse of nearly two decades under the previous administration. “The coalition struggled on the street, in the regions and in the National Assembly for the restoration of local democracy. We are happy to have achieved this democratic objective in less than 10 months after entering office,” he added.

The President said the elections served as a reassurance of the government’s commitment to continuing its work in empowering citizens, ensuring that the three levels of government functions, establish new towns and support the ten administrative regions.

He thanked all candidates and eligible voters who participated and congratulated GECOM on a job well done. The President was backed up by Ministers Bulkan and Harmon.

The President defended the participation of his coalition and the other larger parties. He said there was never any attempt to obstruct any other individual or group.

“The persons we backed share our vision for a clean green communities, they share our vision for integration, they share our vision for strong regions. We never obstructed any individual from participating in the elections,” he added.

The coalition is likely to secure victory in several municipalities, including Georgetown. When asked if he was backing any individual for the post of Mayor, Mr. Granger said “I am a Democratic, I will let the people decide.”

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