President Ali appoints new REOs as regional purge faces backlash

May 18, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – The government has announced a major administrative reshuffle following the president’s approval of ten new Regional Executive Officers (REOs) to head the administrative machineries of the country’s administrative regions. According to an official government statement, the newly appointed officers are tasked with working closely with regional administrations, local democratic organs, and communities to enhance governance, accelerate development programmes, and improve the delivery of public services to citizens across the country. The administration emphasised that this move aligns with its ongoing commitment to building professional, responsive, and people-centred institutions that support inclusive development in every region of Guyana.

The complete list of the approved regional heads spans all ten geographic divisions of the country. The appointments include Dr. Steven Cheefoon for Region One, Deolall Rooplall for Region Two, Surendra Kayume for Region Three, and Juan Edghill Jr. for Region Four. Mary Samaroo has been designated to head Region Five, while Ronald Harsaywack takes over Region Six, and Dr. Joshua Kanhai assumes the post for Region Seven. Rounding out the appointments are Marti DeSouza for Region Eight, Karl Singh for Region Nine who was originally there, and Dr. Gregory Harris for Region Ten.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The changes immediately drew criticism from the parliamentary opposition, with APNU Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul pointing out that the decisions represent a massive overhaul of regional leadership. In a strongly worded public response, Mahipaul stated, “The recent appointment of nine new Regional Executive Officers, with only one retained from the previous batch, signals yet another major administrative reshuffle by the government.” While the opposition parliamentarian extended congratulations to the newly appointed officers and wished them success in serving the public, he raised immediate red flags regarding the underlying transparency and integrity of the selection process.

Mahipaul expressed deep reservations about the backgrounds of several chosen candidates and the potential political motives behind their placement. The MP noted, “While I extend congratulations to those newly appointed and wish them success in serving the people, I cannot ignore growing public concerns surrounding some of these selections. Based on information already circulating in the public domain, at least a few of these appointees carry reputations that raise serious questions about their commitment to accountability, transparency and ethical governance.”

A major point of contention raised by the opposition involves allegations of favouritism, nepotism, and a lack of professional independence within the new administrative lineup. Mahipaul highlighted a heavy concentration of personnel drawn directly from within central government ministries, specifically pointing to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Education, alongside familial links to the cabinet. He argued, “Additionally, the noticeable concentration of appointments from within government ministries, including the local government ministry, the Ministry of Education, and even direct familial ties to a sitting government minister, does little to inspire confidence that meritocracy and independent oversight were prioritised. Guyanese deserve Regional Executive Officers who are beyond reproach and fully committed to honest service, not appointments clouded by political convenience or favoritism.”

Despite these severe structural reservations, the opposition parliamentarian expressed hope that the newly installed officers would ultimately rise to the occasion and prove their detractors wrong through high standards of personal integrity and strong administrative performance. However, he warned that the opposition and civil society would maintain a strict, unyielding watch over regional operations moving forward. Mahipaul concluded his assessment with a stern warning to the administration, stating, “I sincerely hope these officers prove critics wrong through integrity and performance, but make no mistake for close scrutiny, public monitoring and demands for accountability will remain paramount in ensuring that regional governance truly serves the people and not political interests.”

Adding to the wave of political pushback, Member of Parliament Duarte Hertsberger from the WIN party also issued a statement condemning the reshuffle and challenging the government’s broader approach to state management. Hertsberger demanded full disclosure regarding the reasons behind the sudden removal of the previous regional heads, asserting that any underlying institutional failures must be exposed to the public.

He stated, “The Guyanese people deserve clarity and transparency. If there were failures in administration, procurement, accountability, project execution, financial management, or governance at the regional level, then the country deserves to know the truth. And if laws were broken or misconduct occurred, accountability cannot simply end with reassignment or quiet replacement. Accountability must mean consequences.”

The WIN parliamentarian argued that the wholesale replacement of the REOs exposes systemic weaknesses that are being masked by public relations campaigns rather than being genuinely resolved. Hertsberger observed, “What we are witnessing is a dangerous pattern of governance by optics; where appearances are prioritised over performance, announcements over accountability, and political theatre over institutional strength. Guyana cannot continue boasting about being the fastest-growing economy in the world while the very administrative systems responsible for delivering governance appear increasingly overwhelmed, inefficient, and dependent on political intervention for routine matters. A strong economy means little if the institutions responsible for serving the people are weak.”

Hertsberger concluded his statement by calling for a shift away from reactionary politics toward sustainable institution-building, questioning the effectiveness of localised emergency interventions by central leadership when routine administrative functions falter. He noted, “The recent developments expose a worrying reality: the bark of governance is becoming louder than the bite. The Guyanese people deserve more than carefully staged optics. They deserve functioning institutions, competent administration, transparency in decision-making, and leadership prepared to confront failure honestly instead of managing perception politically. Good governance is not about showing up after systems fail. Good governance is building systems strong enough to prevent failure in the first place.”

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• Deolall Rooplall, President Ali, REO, Steven Cheefoon, Surendra Kayume

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