PPP/C sees 512 % increase in votes in Linden as monumental victory

…….says Government will keep promises made to the municipality

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) believes that the 2464 votes cast in their favour in Linden compared to the 402 votes received in 2018 is a monumental victory for the party, given that it was picked up by mostly new supporters. While the party had hoped to secure more seats on the council, campaign manager Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, said he is quite happy with the amount of persons who showed up and voted for the party. This marked a more than 500 percent increase in votes in an A Partnership for National unity (APNU) stronghold. Over the years, the PPP/C’s traditional strongholds in Region 10 are from communities out of Linden, such as Malali, Muritaro and mining communities such as Three Friends. Edghill said to garner over 2000 votes in Linden alone showed that real people participated in the democratic process and that the crowds during the campaigning season were not manufactured. “As much as we did not win these elections, we are quite happy with the amount of persons that showed up for us, it clearly shows, that the red wave in Linden was not a manufactured crowd, it was real people who was participating in a democratic process to bring about real change,” he told INFO 10.

Edghill said that the government will continue to support the municipality and since 2020, visible to the eyes, on a daily basis, were interventions from central government for Linden and we will continue to do so,” he said.

Similar sentiments were shared by leader of the list Dr. Shurland Murray, who said the council should work with the government of the day to see Linden gets what it deserves, and that the town gets the best service, expertise and the development it desires.

Murray also said the massive increase in votes shows ‘trouble’ for the opposition as it was in its stronghold.

Murray said the party has not yet decided who the two representatives will be but whomever is chosen will be those who will fight for the interest and the needs of Linden and the party will focus on development, accountability and effective leadership. “We are here not to build walls nor to raise resistance but to build bridges and that is what we are doing and as leader of the list, I will ensure we enforce that and we will continue to push to see this town become the pearl of the nation.”

The APNU secured 14 out of 16 seats in the municipality. ANPU won all eight constituencies in the town and four in Kwakwani while PPP picked up two seats in that Neighbourhood Democratic Council.

Meanwhile countrywide, the PPP recorded victory in 66 LAAs while APNU recorded victory in 14 LAAs