–to fill crucial vacancies

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has received funds from Budget 2026 for Local Government Elections (LGE).
This was revealed during the consideration of the budget estimates in the Committee of Supply, on Monday.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira told the Committee of Supply that the Commission’s programme is split between election operations and administration, with budget allocations covering transport, printing of materials, training of polling staff and payments for scrutineers.
Opposition members, during the session, questioned the absence of key senior personnel, including the positions of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) and Assistant Chief Elections Officer (ACEO).
In response, Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Texeira, confirmed the salary scales for the vacant posts, noting that the Deputy Chief Elections Officer carries a monthly basic salary of $1,320,274, while the Assistant Chief Elections Officer attracts a monthly salary of $943,585.
Further questions were asked about other senior-level vacancies at the commission. It was disclosed by Texeira that additional vacant positions include Legal Officer, Information Technology Manager, Research Officer, Security Manager and Chief Accountant.
The minister, while further responding to questions from opposition parliamentarians, noted that materials purchased last year have been carried over, narrowing the apparent funding gap when opposition MPs pressed for clarity on whether funding is sufficient for the more numerous and logistically demanding LGE compared with general elections.
“The actual programme in the GECOM is two programmes: one that deals with elections, one that deals with more administration. So, they’ve catered for what you call transportation, printing materials, training of the staff that works on election day, as well as the payment of scrutineers, etc… So, that’s all included in the budget,” she said adding: “So, although it’s slightly less, it’s not a huge gap. When you look at the cost for the general elections versus the local government and in a number of heads, which you haven’t asked questions about, they bought materials last year that can roll over into this year.”
The sum of $6.9 billion has been approved for GECOM. Last month, GECOM announced job opportunities for temporary trainers as part of preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections.
According to a public announcement by GECOM, the successful candidates will work under the supervision of the Chief Election Officer and will be responsible for developing training curricula, delivering instructional sessions to election staff, assessing participants, and maintaining accurate training records.
The role will also require travel to rural and hinterland regions, including overnight stays, to facilitate training activities.
Applicants must meet one of three qualification criteria: a degree in education or a relevant discipline with at least two years’ experience; a diploma in education or a related field with three years’ experience; or a trained teacher’s certificate or relevant tertiary qualification with a minimum of five years’ experience.
All qualifications must be obtained from the University of Guyana or another recognised and reputable institution.