Manickchand refuses to intervene in Region Ten leadership deadlock

(Kaieteur News) – Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand has maintained that, in accordance with the law, she cannot intervene in the prolonged leadership impasse in Region Ten, which has remained unresolved since October 2025 following a tie between two opposition parties for the region’s top leadership.

Manickchand made the position clear on Thursday during a press conference at her ministry’s boardroom in Georgetown. The controversy stems from an October 10, 2025 meeting presided over by former Clerk of Council Dwight John. During the initial election for Chairman of the Region 10, Regional Democratic Council (RDC), We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) candidate Mark Goring and rival candidate A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Dominique Blair tied after a single round of voting.

When she was asked for an update on the standoff, the minister reiterated that before the law was amended, ministers had the authority to break a tie in the election of a regional chairman. However, she outlined that provision was deliberately changed to remove ministerial involvement in the process.