GUYANA’S Local Government Elections (LGE) will be held when the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is properly constituted and informs the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development that it is ready to hold the elections.

This is according to subject minister, Anand Persaud, who was, at the time, responding to comments made by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Amanza Walton-Desir, during her contribution to the budget debate on Monday.

“When the elections commission is properly constituted and they inform us, elections will be held,” Persaud said as he began his presentation.
The government has repeatedly indicated that it is ready to hold the elections but is awaiting the guidance of the GECOM. Notwithstanding this, the opposition continues to press the issue.

Though the ministry is responsible for announcing the date for the LGE, this can only be done after consultations with GECOM, which decides its readiness and also has the responsibility for holding the elections.

The elections were due in 2021, and some $1.1 billion had been allocated in the 2021 national budget for it. However, there were questions surrounding the credibility of several employees, who were implicated in the rigging of the 2020 elections.

Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers, and Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, were eventually charged with electoral fraud and fired in August 2021. Several other persons were also charged with similar offences.

The CEO is required by law to manage the conduct of elections in Guyana. After months without a CEO, former employee, Vishnu Persaud, was hired to fill the post in December 2021. However, by then it was too late for the elections to be held.

The Commission had also informed Local Government Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, about the situation in December 2021.