GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Nov 14, CMC – President Irfaan Ali says his government is ready to hold local government elections, but outstanding issues within the opposition over representation on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) must first be resolved.
Speaking to reporters at his office on Friday, Ali said several matters relating to the elections were beyond the government’s control, insisting that the opposition must determine how it intends to proceed and communicate its position to the public and GECOM.
“The courts are there for a purpose and if any stakeholder believes that they need something to be…analysed or adjudicated upon…they [can] use the arm of…the judiciary. I can say to you, as a government, we are ready,” the president said.
The dispute over GECOM’s political composition follows the September 2025 General and Regional Elections, in which the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) emerged as the main opposition party.
However, the three opposition-nominated seats on the commission remain occupied by commissioners appointed under the previous opposition leadership. GECOM has not held formal meetings since September 2025.
“Those [issues] have to be settled, and that has nothing to do with the government,” Ali said when questioned about the matter.
He recalled that the opposition had previously comprised several political parties, including the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), noting that disagreements among opposition factions were not new.
The 2026 National Budget allocates $6.9 billion to GECOM to undertake the administrative preparations for the elections.
At the June 12, 2023 local government elections, the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won 66 of the 80 local authority areas, while A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) secured the remaining 14.
Ali described the renewal of leadership through local elections as an important part of the country’s democratic framework, noting that the PPP/C had contested every constituency in previous polls.
CMC/ed/2026