By Anthony Henry

President Dr Irfaan Ali has secured a second five-year term in office after his People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won a clear majority in Monday’s general elections, according to projections from statements of poll posted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

With more than 97 per cent of statements of poll published on GECOM’s website, the PPP has obtained a majority of the votes cast across all 10 electoral districts. Based on these results, local media are predicting that Dr Ali, 45, will retain the presidency.

Dr Ali, who was first elected in 2020 following a protracted five-month electoral standoff, campaigned on a platform of unprecedented economic transformation. His government has overseen a five-fold increase in Guyana’s economy, driven by surging offshore oil production, and pledged to diversify growth into jobs, infrastructure, health, and education.

According to media reports, official figures show the PPP secured over 200,000 votes, giving it control of the National Assembly. The party’s dominance extends across all regions, ensuring parliamentary stability for the next term.

We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, finished second and is projected to become the new main opposition party in the National Assembly. WIN’s cross-ethnic, populist appeal resonated with many voters despite controversies surrounding its leader.

The once-dominant A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) suffered a sharp defeat, securing just over 67,000 votes and failing to win a single region. Analysts describe the result as one of the coalition’s worst electoral performances.

Smaller parties, including the Alliance For Change (AFC), the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), and the Assembly of Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) led by Simona Brooms, failed to secure seats in parliament.

Dr Ali, along with wife, Arya Ali, and their two sons, will therefore continue to reside at State House for another five years.

The PPP’s victory was aided by new transparency measures enacted after the disputed 2020 election. By law, GECOM was required to post statements of poll online, giving the public and media real-time access to official results.

The official declaration from GECOM is expected later this week. The near-complete count is expected to leave little doubt that the PPP has secured both the presidency and a governing majority in parliament.

The results confirm Dr Ali’s continued mandate to guide Guyana through its historic oil boom, with promises of what he has described as a transformation “never before seen” in the country.