Opposition picks members for Local Government Commission, APNU left out

Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, 21:19 by Writer

Opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed on Tuesday said after consulting with leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), he submitted the names of three persons to sit on the constitutional Local Government Commission (LGC).

They are Leola Narine and Leslyn Lowe of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and Nicholas Chesney from FGM.

Demerara Waves Online News was informed that APNU nominees Joan Romascindo and Ronald Daniels were not selected and Mr Mohamed, instead, selected two other members, one each from his WIN party and one from FGM.

APNU and WIN have been at loggerheads over WIN’s repeated calls for the three APNU-aligned/nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) commissioners to resign and make way for new opposition representatives now that WIN is the main opposition party with 16 parliamentary seats. APNU has 12 and FGM, 1.

The opposition leader told reporters that on July 24, 2026, WIN received three letters from Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira for consultations for the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Public Service Commission (PSC) and the LGC.

Concerning the appointment of a JSC member, President Irfaan Ali selected former Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh.

WIN acknowledged the President’s nominee as it did for the Guyanese leader’s nominees for the PSC—Maurice Gajadhar, Melcita Bovell and Leila Ramson.

Mr Mohamed said he saw no need to object to Dr Ali’s nominees because in the end the government would still go ahead with its preferences.