APNU excludes WIN from Region Four council committees – Manickchand

Last Updated on Friday, 13 February 2026, 0:07 by Writer

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) did not submit any names of We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) representatives to sit on the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) council committees, local government and regional development minister Priya Manickchand said on Thursday.

In response to a question from WIN’s Tabitha Sarabo-Halley during consideration of budgetary estimates about why only APNU and People’s Progressive Party Civic councillors were named to the sectoral committees in Region Four, the minister said APNU did not propose any WIN councillors to sit on them.

“I’m advised that in this particular instance, no names were submitted from your collection. The APNU Chief Whip failed to submit any names from WIN when they were asked to submit names,” she said.

The minister surmised that perhaps APNU determined that WIN did not have the capacity or expertise. “I’m not sure. You all need to sort that out amongst yourselves but was the APNU who has a Chief Whip on that council who was invited to submit nominations and they failed, neglected or refused to submit any WIN,” she said.

APNU MP Ganesh Mahipaul was unsuccessful in obtaining a commitment from the minister that the regional councils should compose committees based on the model of parliamentary proportionality. She cautioned against acting outside of the law and so “whatever the law says is what we will do.”

For the first time in its history, the People’s National Congress Reform/APNU, with nine seats,  lost control of Region Four to the PPPC with 17 seats in last September’s regional elections.

WIN garnered eight seats.

APNU also lost in its bid to win the chairmanship and vice chairmanship of Region Four in internal elections at the first council meeting.

Ms Manickchand said conventionally, the names of prospective committee members are submitted and they are selected based on those with the “best expertise in the particular area” who would most likely “best serve the people” of each region, except for the procurement committee that is decided by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).