Elections for members to Local Democratic Organs have not been held since 1994.

GINA said Minister within the Local Government Ministry, Mr. Clinton Collymore met Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Steve Surujbally Wednesday to discuss the work of the Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform.

Accompanying Surujbally were acting Chief Election Officer, Mr. Gocool Boodoo and Deputy Chief Election Officer, Mr Calvin Benn, the agency said. The meeting was held in the boardroom of the Ministry of Local Government, Fort Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

Collymore told GINA the discussions were centered on the work of the Task Force and how GECOM could now be brought on stream.

He provided Surujbally with a detailed report of all aspects of the Task Force's work, including the 31 field consultations and the results, as well as requests of various communities.

Referring to the constitutional amendments which formed the basis of the job of the Task Force and the laws which have to be amended to facilitate the required changes, Collymore said he urged GECOM to do its best to ensure a smooth and transparent Local Government poll.

GINA said one measure engaging the attention of GECOM is the need to prepare an updated voters list.

The minister said he undertook to provide Surujbally with relevant documents, decisions and recommendations in a consolidated report after it is submitted to President Bharrat Jagdeo and leader of the main Opposition People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) Mr. Desmond Hoyte next month.

The Task Force has retained a legal draftsman to commence work and two overseas experts, made available through the National Democratic Institute (NDI), are due to arrive early next month to assist with the preparations, GINA said.

The overseas experts are Dr. Benjamin Reilly, of Australia, who will assist with the election process, and Mr. Paul Smoke, of the United States, who will help with garnering resources.

Surujbally and his team are particularly interested in getting information on the electoral system to be used, the local government organs contesting the elections, the new organs being envisaged and the proposal for more towns and additional Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), according to the agency.

This information, he stressed is the key to the timing of the poll, assuring that he wants to hold clean, transparent and proper Local Government elections.

He said he would not want GECOM to be hurried along to meet rigid deadlines, GINA reported.

Both parties welcomed the interest being shown in the process by the NDI and the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) and agreed that this augurs well in the final analysis, the agency said.

It said the two sides also concurred that the elections should be held as early as possible, taking into consideration the "overriding need for transparency and for a free and fair elections".

Formation of the Joint Task Force to deal with affairs of the Local Government Reform Process emerged from the dialogue President Jagdeo started last year with Hoyte.

The committee comprises members of the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the PNC/R and is co-chaired by Minister Collymore and representative of the PNC/R, Mr. Vincent Alexander.

Elections for new members of the Local Democratic Organs have been put off because of several reasons, including post-general election demonstrations in 1997 and 2001, GINA noted.