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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, November 14, 2018
‘We don’t see it as a loss’ … Lawrence reacts to APNU losing three constituencies in Georgetown By Svetlana Marshall MONDAY’S low voters’ turnout for the Local Government Elections affected the outcome for the major political
AFC Executive Member Michael Leonard speaking to reporters parties and even the independent candidates, Public Health Minister and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Executive, Volda Lawrence said on Tuesday as she reacted to her party losing three of its constituencies to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in the Municipality of Georgetown. On Tuesday at the Critchlow Labour College, GECOM disclosed that APNU won 21 of the 30 seats for the Municipality of Georgetown while the PPP/C secured seven (7) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) two (2) in the mixed system of Proportional Representation and First-Past-The-Post. “We don’t see it as a loss. What we see it as is
taking stock of the fact that we need to do more. One; to educate people more about Local Government and that this is their thing,” Lawrence said, while noting that many persons have not bought into Local Government. Fielding questions from reporters, the APNU Executive said it is no secret that the APNU+AFC Coalition did not contest as a single unit in the Local Government Elections after the AFC opted to contest the elections separately. “It says to us that there is much more to be done on the ground one on one with people and we have to get out there and get the job done,” she said. The APNU Executive, however, made it clear
that she would not base the outcome of the much anticipated 2020 General and Regional Elections on the results of the just-concluded Local Government Elections. “I believe that people see 2020, the General Elections, the National Elections as a must, as oppose to Local Government Elections,” she said. Alluding to the just concluded elections, Lawrence reasoned that some voters may have had expectations that did not materialize, causing them to feel disappointed in the system, and those elected following the 2016 Local Government Elections. As such, they have opted See page 12