Jagdeo welcomes PPP newcomers as party eyes clean sweep at LGE

With a large band of supporters during the nomination day proceedings today, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is hoping to make a clean sweep across the 80 Local Authorities Areas come June 12 when the Local Government Elections are held.

Moments before the PPP submitted its List of Candidates for the Municipality of Georgetown, General Secretary of the PPP/C, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters that the party will be contesting all 610 constituencies across the country.

“We have fielded over 2,000 candidates and we have about 26,000 backers. So, we are going into this big, right across the country. As you know, even in opposition, we are the only party that contested all of the local government areas across Guyana but this time around we have exceeded those because we have contested every constituency in Guyana now,” the Party General Secretary detailed.

According to Mr Jagdeo, the party’s candidates across the 80 Local Authority Areas include people from all strata of society, irrespective of their race, religion and creed. The lists, he said, consist, of a lot of women and young people.

The PPP has pulled in the support of former Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene and will be fielding a number of new candidates for the party at the elections.

Among those new candidates are former National Cricketer and Businessman, Steven Jacobs, national footballer, Jeremy Garrett, former Citizenship Initiative Executive, Alfonso De Armas, APNU Councillor Trichia Richards and radio broadcaster and former independent city councilor Malcom Ferrier.

Promising to unveil the party’s full list in the coming days, the PPP/C General Secretary said candidates such as Chase-Greene and Ferrier believe in the party’s ‘One Guyana’ mantra and are prepared to work with the Government for the development of the city, and by extension the country.

“They believe we are the only party that can take Guyana forward, and we have a plan for the city, and as I said before, APNU has been in charge of the city for 57 years, since independence, and it is time we get a chance to show the people of Guyana, particularly, the residents of the city, what we can do,” Mr Jagdeo.

While declaring that his party is not big on forecasts, Jagdeo said he is extremely pleased with its lists of candidates for the 10 Municipalities and 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils.

Over at Freedom House, President Irfaan Ali welcomed the party’s new commers with opened arms. He told supporters that the candidates represent a demonstration of the party’s commitment to unification of Guyana.

“As we advance on this campaign on these local government elections, we are moving together as a people to lift our communities, uplift the lives of citizens all across our country. We are committed to unified purpose and unified purpose is to bring prosperity to every single home here in Guyana,” President Ali said.

The President said the PPP remains committed to the people of Guyana, and the development of country.