Budget for local government elections but not for biometric system

Last Updated on Monday, 9 February 2026, 23:10 by Writer

The GY$1.558 trillion national budget for 2026 contains funds for the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) this year, but sources said the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has not met in recent times due to lingering questions about the representativeness of three of the seven commissioners now that there is a new major opposition party.

Questioned by A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Ganesh Mahipaul, Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira said the budget contains money for LGE some time this year. “In the budget, they’ve provided for local government elections both in terms of temporary election day staff as well as material requirements for elections,” she said.

The unspecified amount will fund transportation, printing material, training of polling day staff, and payment of scrutineers for holding local elections in the 10 towns and 70 neighbourhood councils. “It’s not a huge gap when you look at the cost for the general elections versus the local government (elections) and in a number of heads, they bought materials last year that can roll over into this year,” she said.

Asked about whether a biometric system would be introduced at polling places to ensure greater scrutiny and transparency, she said that would depend on a decision by the Commission after which funds would have to be allocated through a supplementary financial paper.

Sources said that while the GECOM Secretariat was putting itself in a state of readiness for LGE, much would depend on decisions by the Commission which has not met in recent times.

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) continues to demand the use of a digitalised biometric system to register and verify voters, but the GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh had said it would be unconstitutional to use it exclusively to verify voters before they are allowed to cast their ballots.

The new main opposition party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), wants the three pre-election opposition-nominated commissioners – Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman – replaced. They declied to step down, saying that would depend on changes in the law or a court decision. APNU has adopted a similar stance.