Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall has set Monday, June 12, 2023, as the date for the holding of the much-anticipated and long overdue Local Government Elections (LGE) in Guyana.
This was announced on Thursday evening. Section 35 (1) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03 empowers the Local Government Minister to appoint a day for the elections.
Last week, the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh had written the Local Government Minister asking him to set May 22 this year for the conduct of the local polls.
But on Thursday, Minister Dharamlall responded to the GECOM Chair and indicated that the LGE were set for June 12 instead.
LGE were initially set for March 13 this year, but GECOM had deferred it in December 2022 to address issues relating to its registration exercise.
This postponement occurred after court action was filed by Opposition-aligned persons, challenging the process used to compile the List of Electors, or Voters’ List, for the pending LGE.
“This decision was taken at a special meeting of the Commission held on Thursday, 8th December, 2022 which was held to deliberate on a proposal submitted by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Mr Vishnu Persaud to conduct an Exercise to correct the Registers of Voters for Local Government Elections under Section 24A of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03,” the Elections Commission had explained last December.
Only last week, the seven-member Elections Commission approved a new work plan produced by CEO Persaud that recommended May 22, 2023, as the earliest possible date for the holding of the local polls based on the Secretariat’s capacity.
