Electoral history was made on Monday when the Region Nine village of Masakenari in the Deep South Rupununi, held its first ever village council elections, marking a significant shift from the traditional method of selecting leaders to a more formal electoral process, a Department of Public Information (DPI) release said yesterday.
Residents exercised their democratic right by casting their vote and electing their leader of choice under the Amerindian Act of 2006.
According to DPI, the village previously followed customary practices with Paul Chekema leading the community for over 20 years after being selected traditionally. This landmark election now signifies a move towards regular democratic polls which will be held every three years in keeping with the provisions outlined in the Act.