By Kurt Campbell
kurt@newsroom.gy
The governing People’s Progressive Party Civic Tuesday claimed an overwhelming victory coupled with massive gains in Monday’s Local Government Elections (LGE).
The declaration of a landslide victory was made by the party’s General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo almost 24 hours after the close of polls and as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) began releasing results.
Jagdeo said from the party’s own count, the PPP/C has won 66 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAA); included in this is seven of 10 towns.
In two of the towns, Bartica and Mahdia, the PPP and the opposition APNU Coalition have tied for seats on the councils but Jagdeo said the PPP has won the popular vote and will take the Mayorship.
Contrast this against the APNU: It won 14 LAAs, down from 23 won at the last LGE held in 2018.
The APNU has lost nine areas they controlled since 2018.
“This is clearly a wipeout. That is the definition of massive victory,” Jagdeo said during a press conference from Freedom House, the PPP/C Robb Street, Georgetown Headquarters.
The townships the PPP/C will control according to Jagdeo are Mabaruma, Anna Regina, Rose Hall, Corriverton, Lethem, Bartica and Mahdia.
The APNU has retained control of the capital, Georgetown, in New Amsterdam and the mining town of Linden.
But Jagdeo said the numbers show a massive increase in votes for the party in the traditionally APNU strongholds.
To prove this, Jagdeo pointed out that from 470 votes in 2018, the PPP/C secured 1, 784 votes in New Amsterdam, allowing for three seats on the Council.
And in Georgetown, the PPP/C is projected to win five of the 15 constituencies, up from three in 2018.
Jagdeo said the numbers show that the PPP/C has “made phenomenal inroads in APNU strongholds.”
At 12, 256 votes, Jagdeo said almost 6, 000 more persons in Georgetown voted for the PPP/C including from the Sophia, Greater Georgetown area where in one constituency, four votes separate the PP/C and the APNU; the PPP/C has asked for a recount.
In Linden, the PPP/C is reporting a 512 per cent increase with 2, 462 votes up from 402 in 2018.
In Bartica, the APNU fell from 1, 913 to 1, 601 while the PPP/C moved from 1,147 to 1,787, Jagdeo said.
“I wish today to thank the supporters of the PPP for delivering once again a massive and historic victory for the party.
“Without them the victory that we have would not have been possible… they waged a vigorous campaign.
“A special thank you, apart from our traditional supporters, to those who came across who were former APNU leaders or supporters, many for decades and some of them for all their lives,” the PPP/C General Secretary noted.
Jagdeo said the victory the PPP secured is important because it is the beginning of something very important to the party which is to build a united Guyana.
“They are now part of our family; they have been accepted wholeheartedly into this PPP family.
“I say thank you because I’m personally aware of the kind of vilification they have had to endure from the leaders of the APNU… the abuse, the lies, the racism often that they had to face. It must have been particularly hard for them,” Jagdeo said.
The PPP/C has made some requests for recounts and Jagdeo said the party awaits the outcome because between one to five votes separate the APNU and PPP/C in these areas where some issues were also highlighted.
“This will not change much the outcome of these elections,” Jagdeo stated.
