Guyana’s stop-start election makes headway

Latin America’s fledgling hydrocarbons province sets election date as first oil looms

The Guyana government has finally set an election date after months of political backbiting and court case appeals failed to reverse a vote of no-confidence in President David Granger’s administration. The government announced to parliament that the election is now scheduled for 2 March, despite the original National Assembly vote back in December 2018, supposedly triggering a poll within a three-month window. The latest delay was abetted by a decision from the country’s Elections Commission that Guyana would not be ready to hold a vote until late February. “The Granger government has used diverse legal strategies to delay the election, aiming to have first oil before the polls open in order