After winning more than 67 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LLAs) at the 2023 Local Government Elections (LGE), the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) took time out on Saturday to celebrate its victory at the polls.
General Secretary of the PPP, Bharrat Jagdeo said although the party did not win all of the LLAs, it made significant grounds in those it lost.
On Saturday, Jagdeo addressed supporters who had gathered at the Berbice Campus on the Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) for a celebratory feast.
He pointed out that even though the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) would have gained more votes in the towns of Linden, New Amsterdam and the capital city Georgetown, the PPP was able to make inroads in what Jagdeo referred to traditional APNU stronghold areas.
“In 2018, the PPP got 402 votes in Linden, in 2023, we got four thousand odd votes. So, over 2000 more people in Linden, which is APNU’s stronghold, voted for the People’s Progressive Party. In Kwakwani we increased our votes by over 200 per cent there. In Region One we increased our support in Mabaruma and Port Kaituma – we won both of those areas. In Region Seven – Bartica, where APNU always won, this time around we won Bartica.”
The party’s General Secretary pointed out that previously, APNU had secured more votes than the PPP in the town of Mahdia, but in 2023, the PPP received the most votes there.
“In 2023, in Georgetown, APNU and the AFC then had less votes when compared with 2018. We moved from about 7000 votes to over 12,500; an increase of 5500 and in New Amsterdam although they won, they had 11 seats and we had three in 2018. We now have six seats and they have eight. If we had one more seat we would have tied – we increased our votes by over 200 per cent in New Amsterdam,” Jagdeo explained.
“In Mocha, we had 27 votes in 2018, and this time we got over 200 votes. So even in the 13 areas that they [APNU] won in, we made significant inroads in their support base and I want to thank all of those people who showed up – our traditional supporters from across the country who have always PPP, I want to say thank you, and I want to thank all those who came to us in these elections; they now have a home in the People’s Progressive Party.”
Jagdeo said many of the people who traditionally supported APNU saw the difference in what the PPP has been doing and went over to the PPP.
“You have to stand up for the kind of country you want to live in,” Jagdeo told his party supporters.
Special mention was made of New Amsterdam.
“We want to thank all of you for the work that you put in in New Amsterdam. APNU tried and they told their supporters all kinds of things in the areas that we were trying to win – that we were not going to pay attention to these communities after the elections.”
Jagdeo said the party must continue to grow stronger and at the General Elections in 2025, it should secure a resounding victory at the polls.
“We never really got the chance to celebrate. The last time in 2020, we were fighting for five months to ensure that they did not steal the elections. So, we did not get a chance to celebrate and this time around if APNU can celebrate and have a motorcade and celebrate when they lose the area, why can’t we have some fun tonight too. They have been celebrating their failures. Tonight, we are here to celebrate the success of your party – the party that has done so well and it is because of you; the people here in Berbice and all across the country that have made this victory so overwhelming.”
