–Dr. Luncheon
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) owes an explanation for no local government elections in Guyana this year, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon. He described the situation as a “severe disappointment” that warrants an analysis of GECOM’s role.

“It (GECOM) needs to provide us with who is to be blamed, even more importantly to assure us that in assigning blame, that the same difficulties, omissions, commissions would not continue to be condoned by stakeholders,” Dr. Luncheon said.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President yesterday, Dr Luncheon said despite the late enactment of the Local Government Authorities Amendment Bill, the training that was required by GECOM for the electoral system was not delayed as a result of the bill.

GECOM has stated that due to several significant deviations, such as unplanned delays in the production of Identification Cards (ID Cards), a demarcation exercise to give effect to the provision in the Local Authority Amendment Act which logistics require significant amount of effort and time to conclude, and the lack of legislative enactments in the National Assembly, the elections will not be held.

Government has tabled in the National Assembly the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Bill, the Local Government Commission Bill, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill and the Fiscal Transfers Bill which are before the Special Select Committee for review.            

Government moved to the National Assembly for a consensus on these Bills with the hope that they would have been enacted before the Parliamentary recess.

Government is still assessing the circumstances leading to local government elections not being hosted in Guyana and is determined to avert any further delays in the hosting of future elections.

Only recently, President Bharrat Jagdeo expressed disappointment over GECOM’s stance that Local Government Elections will not be held this year and hinted that it might be a political action.

He said he found it inconceivable that the Commission failed to make proper arrangements to prepare for elections this year, particularly with all the staff and money which have been pumped into the agency

The President also believes that the public should make several inquiries to ascertain the reason for GECOM not being able to host the elections.

Local government elections were last held in 1994. A Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform, comprising members of the PPP/C and the PNCR was established in 2001 to draft legislation to overhaul the local government system. This came out of the dialogue between President Bharrat Jagdeo and the Leader of the Opposition, the late Desmond Hoyte.