December 12 is Nomination Day for Local Gov’t Elections

December 12, 2022, has been selected as Nomination Day for the Local Government Elections (LGE), which will be held on March 13, 2023.

The notice, which is given under the Local Authorities (Elections) Act Chapter 28:03 was published in the Official Gazette on October 28.

Nomination Day is the day for the submission of lists of candidates to the returning officer, pursuant to section 41(1) of the Local Authorities Elections Act, Chapter 28:03.

All political parties, voluntary groups or individual candidates desirous of contesting the LGE are required to submit their respective lists of candidates and pre-approved symbols on Nomination Day.

Guyanese will go to the polls to elect leaders for 10 townships and approximately 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC).

When the government took office in August 2020, it promised that as soon as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) signalled its readiness for hosting LGE, a date would be named.

In 2021, monies were allocated in the national budget for LGE, but those elections were not held, as the government maintained that issues at GECOM needed to be addressed. In 2022, a total of $783 million was also allocated for LGE.

GECOM commenced a Claims and Objections Exercise in August to produce an Official List of Electors (OLE). This exercise was conducted at all the GECOM permanent Registration Offices in the ten (10) Administrative Regions.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall on October 20, 2022, wrote to Justice (Retd) Claudette Singh, Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) appointing the date based on the work plan submitted by GECOM.

As part of the Government’s commitment, some $2.9 Billion has been allocated to GECOM for preparatory works to ensure the successful planning and execution of LGE.

LGE was last held in 2018. (DPI)