By Devina Samaroo
A new political party, promoting the voice of young people, plans to contest the upcoming General and Regional Elections in 2020.
The United Movement Alliance (UMA) was founded in December 2016 by an educator and a Hindu priest with the intention of politically motivating youths to vote along the lines of policies and not party politics.
The group hopes to run for the 2020 elections with the goal of capturing 5 – 6 seats in the National Assembly in order to create a balance between to the two political parties.
The founders are 22 – year – old Rodley Mathoo, who is a holder an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology from the University of Guyana and a teacher at a private institution in Georgetown, and 25 – year – old Ubraj Narine, who is a graduate Hindu priest from the International Vedanta University and is currently a priest at several temples across the country.
UMA wants to put an end in the “winner takes all” politics in Guyana and to have youths properly represented as catered for in national policies.
“No two parties should control the National Assembly. Guyanese need more representation and we plan to give them that. Youths make up more than half the voters’ population and therefore a lot of policies should be formulated to benefit them. That has not been the case with the previous or the current administrations,” Mathoo told News Room during an interview.
Mathoo encouraged people to join the movement as it provides “a voice for the voiceless and help to the helpless”.
“For far too long we had politicians who had not the interest of the people at heart. It is time that Guyana has politicians who are truly patriotic and has Guyana’s best interest at heart,” he stated.
In the lead up to the next elections, UMA plans to hold several public meetings across the country in every region to mobilise persons.
“Our focus at these meetings will be to share our ideas about how to move Guyana forward economically and socially, with heavy focus being placed on the role of youths in the political landscape of Guyana,” Mathoo said.
Its first meeting will be held at the Kalyan Mall on Lamaha Street, between Camp and Waterloo Streets, on June 4, from 13:00hrs.
