ready to be that someone the youths in the community need and someone to talk for them,” Mc Almont shared as his reason for joining the elections. “When people hear of Sophia, Plum Park and Farmers Field, they got harsh things to say about us and call us all types of names. But no, my community is beautiful with lots of friendly and hardworking people, we have lots of professionals within our constituency such as doctors, lawyer, hydrographic surveyors, professional footballers etc. This is what pushed me to join because I want to see a better Sophia, a better Plum Park, a better Farmers Field, and a better North Sophia and Belair. When you hear of these places you must want to go live there,” he elaborated.

The new party’s representative told Stabroek News, that if he is elected, he would like to start by doing a complete makeover of the areas within constituency five, by putting focus into more youth programmes, form a few youth groups, create jobs for the youths to get more young professionals on board to help him educate the youths in the areas.

“I have plans for some parks for these communities, so on the weekends or even in the afternoon after work, you can go sit and have recreational time with your family, play ball, swing or just sit, talk and relax,” he said. The first-time politician in the First-Past-The-Post local government elections quoted Dr Martin Luther King Jr as saying, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”.

The twenty-nine-year-old entrepreneur said

that when he (there is no if in his vocabulary) is elected, he will fund his projects through business partnerships and through the council and community partnerships.

“I should be elected because I am here to get the job done, I want a better community, a better country and I want change. I am not here to make promises and not keep them, now is the time for young blood who is vibrant and energetic. Time for the future to start working, time for change and try something new. Come June 12, I am not telling anyone where to vote, but vote with your heart, vote for what is

right and vote for democracy. I know where my X going to be come June 12. Right next to Movement for Unity and Democracy, and next to my photograph,” he asserted.

Dr Josh Kanhai, an independent candidate, will be taking on the challenge to compete for his constituency. The 27year-old candidate said that his plans for development begin at the community centre in Section A Sophia, and the centre will be maintained every month as this was not previously done. He stated that the centre will also be used for programmes where he will encourage faith-based leaders, NGO’s and others to develop and implement programmes for children, teenagers and adults.

“These programnes will be holistic and will cover health, entrepreneurship, selfdevelopment, at-risk youths development etc. There will be weekly volunteer driven programmes and I will ensure that a robust programme is set up to accommodate at the centre for the government’s interventions in Sophia, especially training interventions, job fairs etc. Another aspect of community development I will undertake, is to see that the cross streets between sections A to B and B to C, are tarred or concreted along with bringing the drainage system up to M&CC legal standard. The drainage initiative in Sophia will assist with the flooding efforts and most importantly, assist with vector control. Vector control is another front I’d like to place emphasis on given that a lot of infectious diseases are transmitted by vectors, more commonly the mosquito and flies. Stagnant water is a nesting place for vectors so having the drainage in order will alleviate that issue and vector-borne diseases are an issue to infants and children and they are the ones we have to keep healthy so that they have good school attendance. The immediate solution to the vector control situation will be to formally ask and work with the vector control unit to schedule spray days or nights on a consistent basis until we have the drains up to standard,” he said.

The medical doctor attached to the Pathology Department at the GPHC, said that the people of Turkeyen and Liliendaal, can look forward to concrete drains and improvement to their basic road infrastructure and he will also work with the people through North Sophia and Downer Canal, to provide the necessary amenities for living and work with them to secure a better future.

“Maintenance will be regular and scheduled. Streetlights will be installed through public

means and also I will personally advocate for businesses to contribute toward such causes. I will encourage residents to be involved in the decision-making process, as I will encourage monthly village meetings. I will also promote the

small businesses in the area of Sophia, by pushing them toward grants and developing their capacity to achieve loans. I will also aim to have an annual community engagement forum and fun day to build cohesion and foster unity in the Constituency, of course the other constituencies are invited”, he stated.

Dr Kanhai said that he decided to run independently, because the political party (United Republican Party) he was a part of, decided not to contest in the local government elections. “Given my passion to represent my people, I have decided to go head-on into the LGE independently. This strategy also gives me a chance to express my views and concerns as they are and not as they are made to be,” the independent candidate told Stabroek News.