The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has issued instructions to Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, to commence preparations for continuous registration, an important step towards the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE).
This was confirmed by GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj. He explained that with the commencement of preparations, GECOM should be ready to hold continuous registration from next month.
“A discussion was had. We are going to move forward with that. We’re waiting on a timeline to be decided by the CEO,” he said, expressing hope that the CEO could provide them with a timeline as early as this week.
According to Gunraj, conducting continuous registration is an important first step towards getting a list of electors. It is understood that GECOM is looking to have an updated voters’ list in place by October, in order for the LGE to be held.
Over $750 million has been set aside in Budget 2022 for the preparations to be undertaken by GECOM for the hosting of LGE this year.
Gunraj had previously confirmed that LGE, which was supposed to be held in 2021, is on track to be held this year. In fact, Gunraj said that a roadmap is being prepared towards achieving this.
In December 2021, the GECOM Chair had written Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall to confirm that the electoral body would be unable to hold Local Government Elections in 2021.
She had explained that since the Commission was currently without a Chief Elections Officer, who by law is required to manage the conduct of elections in Guyana, GECOM was “unable” to have the elections held at that point in time. However, after a rigorous process, GECOM has since hired Vishnu Persaud as the new CEO.
GECOM still has to fill the posts of Deputy CEO and other senior management vacancies.
LGE are constitutionally due every two years in Guyana, and were last held in 2018. However, given the fiasco that played out following the 2020 General and Regional Elections, the Local Government polls were deferred to 2021.
At the last LGE in November 2018, the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition had secured 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs). This followed the holding of the LGE in 2016, during which the PPP/C also claimed the majority of the LAAs.
