His presentation was made on April 4 at a special meeting organised by the Task Force to facilitate his brief visit to Guyana, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

It said Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Clinton Collymore met Reilly for an exchange of views on the reform and members of the Task Force later met Reilly for a further discussion.

Arising from a meeting on Tuesday evening, Reilly undertook to provide the Task Force with six options based on the trend of the deliberations and on his wide ranging experience on electoral systems, GINA said.

The body is studying the submission prior to deciding which may be the appropriate option in view of Guyana's situation.

Brief excepts from the options include:
1. Independents and groups, as well as parties, contesting local government elections, could be treated as political parties for the purposes of the Act. Thus, should an individual gain enough votes to be entitled to more than one seat, he could name someone to take up the extra or seats.

2. An open list of proportional representation. Candidates' names, including those of independents (or individuals), will appear on the ballot paper. Voters vote for a party, or for a candidate on the list, or both party and candidate.

3. A single non-transferable vote. All candidates are listed on the ballot paper. Those with the highest vote totals are declared elected. For a 12-seat council, those elected are candidates who have the 12 highest votes. This system makes no distinction between candidates who are independents, who are from a group, or who are representing parties.

4. A ward or constituency system. One candidate or several candidates will contest for a single set in a constituency or ward. A council with 12 seats would have 12 constituencies or wards. There is no proportionality in this system.

5. This is a mixed system. Some councillors would be elected by proportional representation and some by the constituency or ward system. Where the proportional principle is concerned, seats are allocated in proportion to votes cast. Where the representational principle is concerned, voters have a specified councillor who can be held accountable.

6. This system specifically excludes any political party from contesting the elections. The Constitution stipulates that Local Government elections are to be contested by groups, individuals and parties. So excluding groups, individuals, and parties, is not legally viable in Guyana.

Dr. Reilly, 35, is from Sydney, Australia and holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Among the many key positions he has held are: Research Fellow, National Centre for Development Studies, Australian National University; Senior Programme Officer, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance; Adviser, Government Division, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Canberra, Australia; Research Officer, Australian Electoral Commission, Canberra; International Adviser, United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia, Research Officer, Evatt Foundation, Sydney, Australia.