Latest update March 13th, 2026 12:35 AM
Funds set aside for LGE this year
…but GECOM short of key staff
(Kaieteur News) – A sum of money has been allocated in the national budget for the hosting of the Local Government Elections (LGE) slated for this year.
The funds have been set aside for the elections from the $6.9 billion which was allocated to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This was disclosed by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira during a review of the budget estimates on Monday.
Minister Teixeira told members of the National Assembly that while the commission is moving ahead with plans for the LGE, vacancies still exist for the key officers within GECOM. She explained that “These include the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Assistant Chief Election Officer (ACEO), Legal officer, Information Technology manager, research officer and chief accountant.”
From right: Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, Chief Elections Officer of GECOM Vishnu Persaud and other staffers attached to the Commission.
Teixeira told the House “The budget provides for local government elections in terms of temporary staff, polling day staff as well as ballots and stuff like that is the material requirement for elections,”
Added to this, GECOM said in a press release on Monday that the Revised List of Electors (RLE) has been published for 21 days with effect from 7th February, 2026. According to GECOM the timeframe is to provide all stakeholders with the opportunity to check the list for the accuracy of their respective registration records in preparation for the Local Government Election.
GECOM said “Registrants, especially those who conducted transactions in the recently concluded Claims and Objections exercise, are advised to bring any concern about their registration records as displayed in the RLE, to the attention of the Registration Officer of the Registration Office that is responsible for his/her area of residence.”
GECOM said too that it remains committed to a transparent registration process that adheres strictly to the legal provisions and one in which all registration transactions conducted are scrutinised by representatives of the parliamentary political parties.
The RLE is currently being displayed at two prominent locations in every registration division countrywide as well as on GECOM’s website at www.gecom.org.gy for public scrutiny. Last month, the commission announced that it was seeking temporary staff for the upcoming local government elections. According to an advertisement placed on the commission’s website, suitably qualified individuals are being sought to fill the role of temporary trainer in preparation for the upcoming local government polls.
The advertisement noted under the direct supervision of the chief election officer, (CEO) successful candidates will be responsible for designing and developing training materials specifically tailored for the conduct of LGE, organizing and implementing effective training strategies for election staff, evaluating the performance of participants at the conclusion of each training session etc.
Local Government Election is deemed a high priority for citizens, as it stipulates governance and policies at the local democratic or” grass root” level. The elections will pave the way for the appointment of councilors for the 65 Neighborhood Democratic Councils and six municipalities countrywide. Constitutionally, LGE are due every three years. Guyana’s local government election history is marked by significant delays, with the last elections held in 1994, leading to prolonged periods where councils were not renewed, despite constitutional requirements and calls for reform. Local government elections were last held in June 2023.
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