By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, has emphasised that she holds no legal authority to intervene in or resolve the ongoing Region Ten chairmanship stalemate, which has now stretched on for weeks following the October 2025 Regional Democratic Council (RDC) elections.
Speaking during a radio interview with broadcaster Gordon Moseley, Minister Manickchand clarified that her ministry cannot decide who becomes chairperson in the event of a tied vote.
“The minister no longer has a role to determine who is going to become the chairman if you have a tie. There is a process, and that process has to be engaged,” she stated.
A 9–9 Political Deadlock
Region Ten remains without an elected chairperson after the internal RDC election resulted in a 9–9 tie between We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) candidate Mark Goring and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) candidate Dominique Blair.
Under Section 20 of the Local Democratic Organs Act, as amended in 2018:
- A second vote must be held after the first tie.
- If tied again, a third vote must be held.
- If the third vote also results in a tie, the Clerk of the Council must record each councillor’s vote individually.
Following that, the Clerk must apply a legally prescribed formula assigning numerical seat values to councillors elected through proportional representation. The candidate with the highest tally is then declared chairperson.
Minister: “The Clerk Must Lead the Process”
Minister Manickchand expressed hope that the RDC follows the lawfully outlined steps without delay.
“I hope they do that shortly. But somebody has to be in charge of the process. There is the Clerk—and the Clerk would have to be in charge of that process,” she outlined.
WIN Candidate Still Waiting
Presumptive WIN chairperson candidate Mark Goring confirmed that he has received no update on when the continued voting rounds will be reconvened.
“We are still waiting for the Region 10 meeting to conclude the process of the election, because it already started—meaning it has to go two more rounds,” Goring said.
Awaiting a Final Outcome
As Region Ten remains the only administrative region without a declared chairperson, pressure continues to mount on the RDC to follow the statutory procedure and settle the matter. The Ministry has reiterated that only the Clerk—not the central government—can lawfully conclude the process.
