The Government defended the Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Parliament on Wednesday, highlighting the Election and Boundaries Commission’s statutory role, provisions allowing independent candidates to contest local government elections, and measures addressing situations in which councillors or aldermen change their political allegiance while in office.
While introducing Bill, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen maintained that the Bill does not interfere with the independence or statutory role of the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC).
She said the EBC will retain responsibility for carrying out its statutory duties, including the management of electoral districts, the administration of elections and the preparation of the list of aldermen.
“The EBC has an approved formula to apply in regions to determine the electorate of each electoral district. That will give you the number of electoral districts. And I want it to be very clear. This Bill does not remove the statutory rule of the Elections and Boundaries Commission. This Parliament has the legal authority to treat with the municipal structure. The law is very clear.”
Minister Ameen also pointed to changes which will make it easier for independent candidates to contest elections.
“Clause five. Section 12B presently provides that the purposes of the list of aldermen, the word party, includes an independent candidate. So that an independent candidate must file just as a political party, a list of aldermen along with the names of counsellors to be elected. An independent candidate. Clause 5 changes this. So the party will not include an independent candidate. It is practical. An independent candidate, therefore, no longer will need to recruit a whole list of prospective aldermen in order to be nominated.”
Subsections 1A and 1E would also address changes in political allegiance. If a councillor or alderman resigns or is expelled from their party, their seat becomes vacant.
“The council’s role in declaring the vacancy is formal, just as it is now for the other conditions, including the death of an officeholder. This amendment binds an elected person to the will of the electorate. You cannot take the people’s vote with a white jacket and change to a black jacket after you attain office or show up in a UNC Christmas dinner and expect no action to be taken from you.”
Among the major changes, the Bill will establish Chaguanas as a city, while Barataria, Couva, St Augustine and Sangre Grande will become boroughs.