Latest update April 3rd, 2026 12:35 AM
House approves $34.6M for Opposition Leader’s office
(Kaieteur News) – The Leader of the Opposition Office has been allocated $34.6M in the 2026 budget, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira has confirmed.
During the consideration of the estimates on Monday Opposition Chief Whip and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament (MP) Tabitha Sarabo-Halley asked about the allocation for the opposition leader’s office at which time Teixeira pointed out that $34,670,000 had been budgeted for current expenditures.
This newspaper had reported back in January that despite the impasse that preceded the election of the Leader of the Opposition, the Parliament Office had submitted its budgetary proposal to the government for the operation of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira
Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs had confirmed that the proposal included salaries, upkeep of the office and to pay rental for a building. He explained that the estimates are generally based on previous allocations, noting, “Well I think what I normally do. We look at the previous year’s allocation and we increase it just by five or ten percent, not much.” In 2025, the Committee of Supply approved $32.5 million for the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. That allocation, unchanged from the previous year, formed part of the $2.1 billion approved for the Parliament Office.
Only recently this newspaper reported Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed complaining that weeks after assuming office he had not been provided with official state security or a government vehicle, benefits guaranteed under law, which he says signals continued political discrimination against him. “It’s a clear case of political persecution and victimisation by the government. They are trying to strip me of everything. I have no right as a citizen of this country,” Mohamed told this newspaper last week on the sideline of the budget debates at the National Assembly.
He argued that under established protocol and constitutional practice, these benefits should have been made available immediately following his election, or at the very least, formally communicated to him.
Under the Leader of the Opposition (Benefits and Other Facilities) Act 2010.), the Opposition Leader is entitled to a rent-free furnished office accommodation; medical attention including medical treatment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by him for himself and the dependent members of his family; full-time security service at his official place of residence and at the office of the Leader of the Opposition to be provided by the Guyana Police Force; the services of a research assistant, an executive assistant/secretary, a clerical/ office assistant, a chauffeur, a personal security officer, a gardener and two domestic servants; salary, vacation allowance, and parliamentary benefits equivalent to those of a Cabinet Minister.
However, one week after being elected, Mohamed said none of these benefits has been afforded him. Mohamed said that just before his election he had enquired about a vehicle as well as personal security and was told by the clerk, Sherlock Isaacs that the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir had said no then. “About 10 days ago before my election, we talked about the benefits and so on, then I asked about a vehicle since the government has instructed insurance companies and so on to take away all the insurances for my vehicles…He said, no, but now that I have been elected, I am still waiting to see what they will do.”
Mohamed said then that while he understood that some of the other benefits would have to wait on the passage of the budget, he believes something as important as security and a vehicle should have been made available to him. ”These are things that should have been provided for immediately on a transition. This is a constitutional office…” Mohamed lamented.
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