The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party is calling for urgent action to end the ongoing leadership stalemate in the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Ten (Upper Demerara–Berbice), which remains without an elected Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman following a tied vote at the October 10 council meeting.
According to official figures from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the WIN Party emerged as the dominant force in Region Ten after the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections, securing nine (9) seats. A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) gained five (5) seats, while the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) earned three (3) and one (1) seat respectively.
During the October 10 internal election, WIN nominated Mark Goring for Regional Chairman, while the A Partnership for Nationa Unity (APNU) put forward Dominique Blair. Both candidates received nine votes each from the 18-member council, resulting in a tie that has since paralysed the RDC’s leadership and halted key decision-making.
WIN said it has since written to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Regional Executive Officer (REO) requesting that the election process be resumed in accordance with Section 20(6)(a)–(h) of the Local Democratic Organs Act, Cap. 28:09, which provides for additional voting rounds or, if necessary, the drawing of lots to determine a winner. However, the ministry has not yet acted, leaving Region Ten the only administrative region without an elected Chairman or Vice Chairman.
Governance Paralysis and Oversight Breakdown
Under normal circumstances, the RDC functions through a system of statutory committees responsible for providing oversight, scrutiny, and policy direction to the Regional Administration. These include key committees such as:
The Works Committee – overseeing infrastructure and capital projects;
The Education Committee – monitoring education delivery and resources;
The Agriculture Committee – supervising agricultural development and resource management;
The Health Committee – ensuring health services meet community needs; and
The Finance and Administration Committee – reviewing expenditure and budget implementation.
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.
WIN warned that this lack of democratic oversight undermines accountability in the execution of public projects and exposes the region to risks of inefficiency, poor prioritization, and lack of transparency in the use of public funds.
“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,” the party said.
Exclusion from 2026 Budget Process
The WIN Party further disclosed that the Region’s 2026 Budget was prepared and submitted by the Regional Administration without input from elected councillors—a clear deviation from the Local Democratic Organs Act, which requires the RDC to consult communities and prioritize development needs before budget submission.
WIN said this exclusion risks producing a budget that fails to reflect the needs of communities such as Linden, Kwakwani, Ituni, and the riverain areas, potentially leading to underfunded social programmes and unaddressed infrastructure gaps.
Reiterating its call for immediate democratic compliance, the WIN Party said the people of Region Ten “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 statement added.
