– as March 13 – April 24 suggested by elections body as possible LGEs dates
MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, has confirmed to the Guyana Chronicle that he will be naming a date for Local Government Elections (LGEs) “shortly.”
Minister Dharamlall on Wednesday confirmed receipt of a letter from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) identifying a timeframe within which the commission can hold the elections.
Dharamlall confirmed that GECOM has identified the timeframe of March 13 to April 24 in a letter that was sent to him on Monday by the Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh.
“GECOM has given us a timeframe in which the elections are possible, so now that GECOM has given us a timeframe in which they can conduct elections, we will notify them very shortly on the date,” Dharamlall related.
It is the responsibility of the Minister of Local Government to officially declare the date for LGEs based on correspondence from GECOM on when it would be ready to conduct the elections.
This latest development marks a crucial step towards hosting of the local polls which will see councillors being elected for the 80 local democratic organs (LDOs).
The LDOs include the 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and 10 municipalities, inclusive of Georgetown.
LGEs had been legally due last year and funds were budgeted in 2021 to facilitate this; however, several issues facing GECOM at the time prevented the hosting of the elections, including the lack of a chief election officer (CEO).
The LGEs could not be held in the absence of a CEO, a position which was filled by the current CEO, Vishnu Persaud.
Government has repeatedly indicated that it is ready to hold the elections, once given the necessary go ahead from the elections body.
“I think I’m very happy that GECOM has finally gotten to a point where we can have the elections. It is a commitment of President, Dr Irfaan Ali, [and] it is part of the democracy-building that our government is forging ahead with. And we are committed to having elections,” Dharamlall affirmed.
Minister Dharamlall maintained that government is forging ahead with the elections, notwithstanding the delaying tactics being employed by affiliates of the main opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).
Leader of the Opposition, and Chairman of the APNU, Aubrey Norton, has continuously skirted the issue of whether or not the party is going to participate in the imminent LGEs.
Norton was questioned on the issue as recent as last Tuesday, but continued to run away from giving a direct answer.
Aside from Norton, there had been purported efforts by some of the APNU+AFC-nominated GECOM commissioners to stymie the holding of the elections.
Dharamlall said the politicians need to understand that they are doing the country more harm than good.
“As government, we are moving ahead with the LGEs; it is up to the PNC and Mr Norton to decide whether they will participate or not. But as government and as the governing party, we are fully prepared to have LGEs,” Dharamlall insisted.
Norton is also Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), which is the largest component of the APNU coalition.
“I believe that the comments of the leader of the opposition are counterproductive to the democracy-building that we are pursuing, they are raising extraneous issues that have no bearing on the conduct of the Local Government Elections.
“I believe it’s that they are not comfortable with a democratic, transparent process. So they have basically been trying to stymy that process, raising all manner of issues which is not to the benefit of the country but to the detriment of the country,” Dharamlall said.
Earlier this year, Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had challenged the Opposition’s delaying tactics as signs that they are not ready for the elections.
