— Clemsford Belgrave and Deoraj Nauth elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman

THE ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has broken new ground in Guyana’s most populous region, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), as for the first time in history, the party has secured the top leadership posts.

Clemsford Belgrave, who copped 18 votes out of 35, will serve as the New Chairman of the region, while Deoraj Nauth, who is the new Vice Chairman, copped 17 votes out of 35.

Chairman Belgrave and Vice Chairman Nauth were duly elected to steer the region’s council. The victory marks a significant milestone for the ruling party, as Region Four has traditionally been a stronghold for the opposition.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) selected its  Public Relations Officer (PRO) and candidate, Shanika Haynes,  as its pick for both Chairman and Vice Chairman, but she was defeated on both occasions.

For the Chairman position, she only managed to secure 8 votes. Notably, during this selection, it was shown that there were 9 invalid votes, with blanks and spoiled ballots.

For the Vice Chairman position, Haynes received 11 votes. During this process, it was shown that there were 7 invalid votes.

Region Four Chairman Belgrave and Vice Chairman Nauth, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines, both outlined their goal to align regional governance with the government’s broader development agenda.

Belgrave told reporters: “Our priority, as region four, is moving Guyana forward with the government..So we’re moving forward with Region Four.”
He also pointed to the massive victory that the PPP/C copped at the 2025 General and Regional Elections.

Belgrave added, “This is a very historic moment for us. History has been created for region four, whereby the PPP has garnered the chairmanship and the vice chairmanship. And I must say, this is a very historic moment for us.”