Georgetown: A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) won a total of 21 seats in the aftermathof Local Government Election held on Monday with the opposition People’sProgressive Party (PPP) making inroads with seven seats in Georgetown and theAlliance For Change two seats.
Returning Officer Duarte Hetsberger said PPP got four proportional and three constituency seats; APNU got 9 PR seats and 12 constituency seats and AFC’s two came from the proportional representation component of the polls.
GECOM said the turnout was 28.3 percent of the 119,374 eligible voters in Georgetown. There were 432 rejected ballots, 112 spoilt and one tendered.
In terms of the PR component, the results show that APNU captured 18,127 votes; PPP 7,050 and AFC 3,059.
Incumbent Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green won 2,212 votes in constituency 12, despite the negative publicity about her very poor management of Georgetown. Bryan De Nobrega of the Alliance For Change who got 262 votes, leaving the PPP’s Maxine Padmore with 92.
Meanwhile, on the Local Government Elections Day, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Public Relations Officer, Yoland Ward, spent time clarifying misconceptions that were peddled.
Ward assured the media the ink being used in this election cycle is of the highest standard despite a significant portion are excess from the 2016 LGE.
“We have tested and checked our stock. I am confident that the quality of the ink we have is of the highest standard,” Ward told local media today at the Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
The PRO also clarified misconceptions about Returning Officers (ROs) rejecting party agents’ papers on election day. Ward further gave assurances GECOM’s ROs are of the “highest level”.
“Letters for the appointment of polling agents, counting agents, all of these have statutory timelines they were submitted to the office of the returning officers and in so doing once they were accepted, they were issued with badges,” Ward explained.
Meanwhile, Ward said it is unfortunate that persons with a disability have difficulty accessing polling stations but she encouraged those present at polling stations to give assistance to these persons.
Ward explained GECOM had encountered difficulties with the infrastructure being used as polling stations in a number of Local Authority Areas.
“I hope that the camaraderie and assistance of persons at polling stations will help those persons cast their vote,” Ward said.
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