Region 10 shut out from 2026 budget plans – WIN

Nov 08, 2025 News

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…as region still without chairman

…renews calls for REO to reconvene election

(Kaieteur News) – It has been almost one month since the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) election for Region 10 (Upper Demerara–Upper Berbice) was suspended, leaving the region without an elected Regional Chairman or Vice Chairman.

The elections held on October 10, ended in a tie with nine votes each for candidates for We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), after which the Regional Executive Officer (REO) and Clerk of Council, Dwight John, suspended the proceedings and referred the matter to the Minister of Local Government, Priya Manickchand.

WIN on October 12, issued a 48-hour ultimatum through its lawyer demanding that the REO reconvenes the RDC and complete the election process or face legal action. However, to date this has not been done.

In a statement on Friday, WIN said, “This unprecedented delay has created a serious governance vacuum within the RDC and is now impeding the statutory and developmental functions of the region’s highest decision-making body.”

The party outlined that there is a governance paralysis and oversight breakdown within the RDC. It explained that under normal circumstances, the RDC operates through a system of statutory committees tasked with providing oversight, scrutiny, and policy direction to the regional administration.

These include key committees such as the works committee, which oversees infrastructure and capital projects; the education committee, responsible for monitoring education delivery and resources; the agriculture committee, which monitors agricultural programmes and resources; the health committee, ensuring health services meet community needs; and the finance and administration committee, which reviews expenditure and budget implementation.

It stated, “Without an elected chairman, vice chairman, and properly convened statutory council, these critical committees have not been established or functioning, effectively disabling the region’s system of checks and balances. This lack of democratic oversight undermines accountability in the execution of public projects and exposes the region to risks of inefficiency, poor prioritisation, and lack of transparency in the use of public funds.”

Further compounding the issue, WIN outlined that the 2026 regional budget was recently submitted by the regional administration without the involvement or input of the elected councillors. “A clear deviation from established democratic practice,” WIN said.

The party outlined that the Local Democratic Organs Act, Cap. 28:09 envisions the RDC as the central body responsible for consulting communities and prioritising development needs before the preparation and submission of the annual regional budget.

WIN contended that the exclusion of the elected council means that the true needs, priorities, and aspirations of the residents of Region 10 are not reflected in the budget submission. “As a result, communities across the region, including Linden, Kwakwani, Ituni, and the riverain areas, face the risk of underfunded social programmes, unaddressed infrastructure needs, and reduced public trust in the democratic process,” it stated.

WIN reiterated its call for the REO Dwight John to resume the election process for the positions of regional chairman and vice chairman. “The people of Region 10 deserve a functioning, democratically led regional democratic council, not administrative rule. It is imperative that due process be followed to restore democratic governance, public accountability, and confidence in the regional system,” the party said.

Region 10 has traditionally been a stronghold of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). However, the PNC led APNU was dethroned at the 2025 general and regional elections by newcomer WIN, led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed. This publication had reported that of the 38,460 electors on the official list of electors (OLE) for Region 10, 21,195 voted. WIN received 10,458 votes, followed by APNU with 5,334, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) with 4,260, Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) with 662, Alliance for Change (AFC) with 210, and Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) with 85.

A total of 18 councilors were sworn in: nine for WIN, five for APNU, three for PPP, and one for the FGM. There were two nominations for regional chairman, WIN’s Mark Goring and APNU’s Dominque Blair. Both men received nine votes each.

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• 2026 budget, A Partnership For National Unity, Dwight John, RDC, Region 10, We Invest in Nationhood

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