Local Government Minister Priya Manickchand says the political stalemate over the Region Ten Chairmanship must be settled strictly through the procedures set out in law, stressing that she has no authority to intervene. She explained that ministers no longer play any role in breaking ties for RDC leadership positions, and that the Clerk of the Council is responsible for carrying out the multi-step process.
Region Ten remains the only district without a sworn-in Chairperson after the October 2025 internal election ended in a 9–9 tie between WIN’s Mark Goring and APNU’s Dominique Blair. The deadlock has held up the region’s installation ceremony, even as the other nine regional chairpersons were sworn in on November 28.
Under the Local Democratic Organs Act, a tied vote must trigger an immediate second vote, and if that also ties, a third. If all three rounds end level, the Clerk must record how each councillor voted, calculate the numeric seat values for those elected through Proportional Representation, and assign those values to the candidates. The candidate with the higher tally at that stage should be declared the winner. If the votes remain equal even after those calculations, the law requires the Clerk, in the presence of a Magistrate, councillors and the public, to choose the Chairman by lot from the two tied candidates.
Manickchand said she expects the Region Ten Clerk to proceed accordingly and believes the issue will be resolved once the internal political matters among the parties are settled. She noted that removing the ministerial tie-breaking power was intended to avoid perceptions of political bias.
Region Ten’s current political makeup reflects a shift from its traditional APNU dominance. After the 2025 General and Regional Elections, WIN secured nine seats, APNU five, PPP/C three, and Forward Guyana one. Those now serving on the council include Blair, Gordon, Perry, Rodrigues and Rogers for APNU; Chapman, Duke, Fiedtkou, Goring, Hope, Narine, Nedd, Wade-Martin and Williams for WIN; Adams, Gibson and Roberts for the PPP/C; and Jerrick for Forward Guyana.
President Irfaan Ali has also indicated that the Region Ten leaders will be sworn in once the election process is completed within the constitutional requirements.
