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‘I can’t tell him what to do, or beat him’ – Manickchand on Region 10 five-month leadership impasse
(Kaieteur News) – “I have zero powers to instruct the person sitting next to me, to beat him, because it sounds like the member wants me to beat him, to do what she thinks he’s supposed to do, to tell him what to do, to advise him what to do…”
Those were the words of Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, on Friday as she maintained that her hands are tied regarding the five-month impasse at the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC), where the election of a chairman remains unresolved.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand (centre) and Region Ten Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dwight John (left) before the Committee of Supply’s consideration of the 2026 budget estimates and expenditure on Friday.
The Minister made the remark as Region Ten Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dwight John sat beside her during the Committee of Supply’s consideration of the 2026 budget estimates and expenditure. At the September 1, 2025 Regional Elections, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, secured the most votes in Region 10, a region traditionally dominated by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R).
On October 10, 2025, 18 Councillors were sworn in: nine for WIN, five for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), three for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), and one for Forward Movement Guyana (FGM). The initial RDC election ended in a 9-9 tie between WIN and APNU nominees.
Since then, REO John suspended the process and referred the matter to the Minister, who later clarified she has no role in selecting the chair and expressed hope that the process would be concluded.
More than five months later, the REO has not reconvened the RDC to resume the election. WIN and FGM have formally written to the REO, and WIN also staged a protest outside his office.
During Friday’s proceedings, FGM Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir questioned whether the Minister’s reference to changing habits within local democratic organs included training for RDC staff to ensure compliance with the laws of Guyana.
Protestors stood in a line in the vicinity of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Linden last month with placards and chanted in support of having a chairman sworn in.
As the questioning continued, the Minister responded, “Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member, is doing this quiet, circuitous, intellectual, kind, to come back to a matter that I have addressed publicly.”
She reiterated that in 2018 the APNU+AFC government amended the Local Democratic Organs Act, removing several powers from the Minister, including the authority to make determinations in the event of a tie for positions such as a regional chairmanship.
“The act was specifically changed by the then members government to remove any power from the minister, So I have zero powers to instruct the person sitting next to me, to beat him, because I it sounds like the member wants me to beat he to do what she thinks he’s supposed to do, to tell him what to do, to advise him what to do and any opinion I offer on the matter is liable to be subjected to a claim of bias, either deliberate or unintentional bias,” the Minister added.
While WIN has contended that Manickchand can instruct the REO to recall the RDC meeting, she again stressed that she cannot interfere in the process. Notably, Region Ten remains the only administrative region without a chairman and vice-chairman. Last year, President Irfaan Ali swore in regional heads for the other nine regions.
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Since aunty Priya cannot tell the REO what to do, and the matter was
reverted to dear aunty Priya, can she call for another vote, election for a
REO specifically for that Region ? All the parties will field their candidates.