PPP ready for Local Govern- ment Elections – Pres Ali

…says Opposition parties must resolve GECOM stalemate

The ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is ready for the Local Government Elections (LGE), but according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, the parliamentary Opposition parties have to first sort their issues out in order for these elections to be held.

“We are ready for a Local Government Election. I believe that Local Government Elections are essential for our country. The renewal of leadership is key as part of our democratic frame. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic has always outperformed every other contender in Local Government Elections. We have participated in every single constituency in those Local Government Elections. So, we are ready,” the Guyanese leader told reporters during a press conference on Friday.

However, he pointed out that there are certain things that are outside the control of the Government that need to be settled before those elections are held.

The President was referring to the stalemate between the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parties as it relates to the Opposition’s representation at the Guyana Elections Commission.

The seven-member electoral body comprises the GECOM Chairperson, three Commissioners from the Government’s side, and three Opposition-nominated commissioners. Currently, APNU’s Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin, and Desmond Trotman sit on the Commission.

Following the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, APNU was ousted as the main parliamentary Opposition by the WIN party. While APNU had secured 12 parliamentary seats, WIN emerged with 16 seats and had been pushing for the main Opposition party to be represented on the Elections Commission.

However, the APNU GECOM Commissioners have refused to step down. This stalemate is even posing a constraint to GECOM’s collective deliberative and decision-making functions, with the Commission recently calling for urgent action to resolve the outstanding issue.

Constitutional Reform

Similar sentiments were expressed by President Ali during Friday’s press briefing, touting the courts as an option for the Opposition parties to use in order to settle this matter.

“I can’t speak for the Opposition, or I would not allow myself to be involved in making a decision on behalf of the Opposition… This is not the first time the Opposition is comprised of different political parties. So, it is up to the Opposition to make their decisions and to advise the country and GECOM on their decisions,” the Head of State noted.

Asked, however, whether the Government would support the amendment of the Constitution to change the configuration of GECOM’s composition, President Ali reminded us that that process is already underway through the established Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC).

Guyana’s Constitution in its current form requires the President to appoint three of the six commissioners on the advice of the Opposition Leader, who has to first consult meaningfully with the parliamentary Opposition parties.

Presently, the CRC is accepting recommendations from the public on areas they would like to see changes made in the constitution. In fact, it had already said that proposals relating to electoral reform will also be considered, including the composition of GECOM, and the method of appointing its chairman and members.

Local Govt polls

Local Government Elections are constitutionally due every two years in Guyana and were last held in June 2023. However, since General and Regional Elections were conducted in September 2025, the local Government polls were deferred to this year.

GECOM had already said back in August that a comprehensive workplan was in place for the conduct of these elections. But while the Secretariat has mapped out the activities and tasks required for the preparation and conduct of those polls; it cannot act on this without the direction of the seven-member Commission.

Moreover, the Local Government Minister is responsible for setting a date for the Local Government Elections, after which GECOM takes the necessary actions to conduct these polls.

Nevertheless, monies have already been earmarked in GECOM’s $6.9 billion 2026 budget allocation for the hosting of the local Government polls.

At the last Local Government Elections in 2023, the governing PPP/C had scored a landslide victory, sweeping 66 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) across the country. The then main Opposition, APNU, had only managed to win 14 LAAs.