PPP/C secures 2nd term with strong majority: A mandate for unity, development

By Ron Cheong

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Saturday, September 6, announced the final vote tally and allocation of parliamentary seats, confirming the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) resounding return to office. With 242,500 votes, for a commanding 55% of the national total, the PPP/C secured 36 of the 65 parliamentary seats. President Dr. Irfaan Ali will now serve a second term with a strong majority and a renewed mandate to advance his administration’s development agenda outlined in the party’s manifesto.

Government performance as vote driver
The election results mark a decisive endorsement of the PPP/C’s performance in government, which proved central to the landslide. Major investments in job creation, training programs, infrastructure, healthcare, housing and education gave voters tangible reasons to renew the PPP/C’s mandate.

Projects such as the Demerara River Bridge are a symbol of progress, while reforms in education, healthcare upgrades and their housing program reinforced the government’s image as responsive and people-centered.
The party made historic inroads in winning Region 4, long an opposition bastion, while dramatically improving its performance in places like North Georgetown and surrounding areas. This along with the APNU’s loss in Linden to the new We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, marked a seismic shift in Guyanese politics.
<<< Youth and cross-demographic gains >>>
A big factor in the victory was the PPP/C success with the growing youth electorate. With the voter roll growing by 13.2%, engaging young people (ages 18–34), particularly the fastest-growing Mixed Heritage demographic, was critical.
The party emphasised inclusion, and strengthening support among Black, Mixed Race, and Amerindian voters through grassroots outreach and development programs. Vice-President Jagdeo credited a 15,000 strong youth movement drawn from all regions and ethnic groups with spearheading this effort. Despite lower turnout nationally, PPP/C increased its share of active voters by 4.6%.
Jagdeo noted the campaign success lay in delivering on promises, offering a credible plan for the future, the proven capability of their leadership team, and calling for unity. “Not because we are special, but because we have kept faith with the people,” he said.
In total the party triumphed in 8 of 10 regions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9), consolidating its national dominance.
APNU: A party in decline
The opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) suffered a disastrous collapse, winning only 17.8% of the vote and 12 seats – a staggering loss of 19 seats for this hitherto juggernaut party.
Driven largely by APNU’s supporters staying home, turnout across all parties fell from 70% to 58%. This combined with massive cannibalisation of the base by the newly formed party We invest in Nationhood (WIN), caused the party’s vote to tumble 64% or 139,930. Simultaneously, WIN picked up 109,066 votes. APNU had initially welcomed WIN as a common cause against PPP/C, only realizing late in the campaign that WIN was actually siphoning its voters rather than the PPP/C’s.
In contrast to APNU’s fall the PPP/C vote was up 4%
Under Aubrey Norton’s leadership, APNU was plagued by internal disunity, defections, and failed coalition talks with the AFC. The party did not muster even a token attempt at grooming new leadership – several prominent APNU figures were sidelined, while others, such as their popular Member of Parliament James Bond, crossed the floor to the government’s side in the lead-up to the polls. This failure manifested in other ways – AFC insiders criticised Norton’s inability to connect with the broader electorate in the failed coalition attempt. These and other ongoing polarising actions are factors that undermined support for both Norton and his party.

AFC: Diminished And disillusioned
The AFC fared even worse, failing to secure a single seat. The party remained tarnished by its role in the disputed 2020 elections, during which it enabled efforts to overturn the results.
It took five months for the APNU’s then leader, David Granger, to relinquish power, doing so only after sustained pressure from the United States through its ambassador Sarah Lynch, along with the Canadian High Commissioner, the UK High Commissioner, CARICOM, the Commonwealth, the European Union and the Guyanese public
Current AFC party leader, Nigel Hughes, has since been dogged by his controversial “33 is not a majority of 65” legal argument which somehow reached all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice. His demand for 40% of government positions and his insistence on being the coalition’s presidential candidate doomed talks with APNU in 2025. The fallout damaged both parties. The AFC was shut out of parliament, while even the just months old Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), led by Amaza Walton Desir, one of those on the long list of talent sidelined by APNU, won 1 seat under the largest remainder method.

WIN: The surprise challenger
The breakout story of the election was the new WIN party, led by businessman Azruddin Mohammed. Despite facing U.S. sanctions for alleged tax evasion on gold shipments, WIN secured an impressive 16 parliamentary seats – displacing APNU as the official opposition.
Well-financed and digitally savvy, WIN’s campaign targeted youth via social media, Amerindian communities, and disaffected APNU supporters. Its most remarkable feat was capturing Region 10 (Linden), long considered unassailable APNU territory.
Critics contend Mohammed entered politics to shield himself from foreign legal pressure and argue that WIN’s gains were largely the result of APNU defections looking for a place to park their vote. This is given credence by the large turnout drop in APNU strongholds and areas where they lost markedly significant share of the vote.
Fortuitously for WIN, the party launch occurred at the perfect time to take advantage of APNU disaffection. Whether they will hold those voters in the longer term remains to be seen. Nevertheless, their success at ballot box in this election cannot be dismissed. The big test and the proof of the pudding will be whether Mohammed can transform from campaign rhetoric into credible parliamentary leadership.

A well-run election
By all accounts, the 2025 elections were conducted smoothly and efficiently. Many voters reported casting their ballots within minutes, with polling staff widely described as courteous and professional
With 2,790 polling stations serving 757,690 eligible voters, the process was closely monitored by both local and international observers, including: The Carter Center, The Organization of American States (OAS), The European Union (EU), The Commonwealth Observer Group and CARICOM.
In total, roughly 200 international and 500 local observers participated. Their preliminary reports commended the professionalism of GECOM staff and confirmed the integrity of the voting process. Each political party also deployed polling agents to observe the process and sign off on results at every station.

Credibility and electoral fallout
Despite the smooth conduct, APNU requested recounts in two districts within Region 4 and Region 5, reviving memories of the disputed 2020 elections. As the recount entered its second day – with a substantial number of boxes already verified and no meaningful changes – APNU’s leader shifted course, abruptly demanding the results be annulled and a forensic audit to be conducted.
This move further eroded APNU’s credibility and reputation. Such behavior was a key reason many traditional supporters abstained from voting, contributing to the party’s collapse.
Ironically, the recount completed Friday night reduced APNU’s totals slightly, while the overall results remained unchanged. GECOM Chair Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh convened a session to certify the results, but the three APNU-nominated commissioners failed to attend. The meeting was postponed for the statutory 24 hours before certification proceeded without them.
However, they did attend on Saturday night and the results were certified. And Ali was declared President-elect. President Irfaan Ali is scheduled to be sworn in for a second term on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 10 a.m. by acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Roxanne George.

A new political era
The 2025 elections reshaped Guyana’s political landscape. The PPP/C secured a strong second mandate, APNU collapsed into near-irrelevance, the AFC vanished from Parliament, and WIN emerged a beneficiary of the APNU collapse replacing them as the official opposition.
Guyana now enters a new political era, one defined by the continuity in government, but also the uncertainty of a fragmented opposition, and lingering questions about whether the new official opposition is either capable or willing to take on that role and whether WIN can effectively fulfill its role as a parliamentary counterbalance.