Guyana's Irfaan Ali Claims Re-election as Final Results Remain Unpublished
Ruling PPP says it won majorities in eight districts and secured at least 242,000 votes in Monday's general election; official seat distribution in 65-member parliament still unclear
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali declared victory in Monday's general election on Tuesday, saying his People's Progressive Party (PPP) had secured a second five-year term even as official final results from the vote had not yet been published.
The PPP said it had received at least 242,000 votes and won majorities in eight of the country's 10 districts, according to reporting based on the party's tallies. We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), a new party formed three months ago, emerged as the runner-up with around 109,000 votes, while the long-time opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) trailed in third. It was not immediately clear how many seats each party would hold in Guyana's 65-member National Assembly.
Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo told local media the PPP would have a “bigger majority” than it held after the 2020 election, but official confirmation of seat allocations awaited publication of the electoral commission's final count. Election authorities had not released a full certified result as of the party statements and media reports.
Turnout in the election was lower than in the last national vote, but the PPP appeared to have increased its share of the vote, according to the party's figures quoted by news agencies. The poll was closely watched domestically and internationally because of Guyana's rapid transformation since major offshore oil deposits were discovered in 2019 and the potential impact of oil revenues on development, governance and regional relations.
Ali, 45, campaigned on promises to use the country's oil wealth to improve infrastructure and reduce poverty. His administration has also navigated longstanding territorial tensions with Venezuela over parts of western Guyana, an issue that has figured in political debates about sovereignty and resource management.
WIN, the new party, capitalized on voter concerns about how oil revenues should be managed and the pace of change since the discoveries, mounting a rapid campaign in its first national contest. Analysts and observers have noted the emergence of new political forces in the country as voters weigh governance, transparency and the distribution of expected oil-derived income.
Electoral authorities are expected to publish final, certified results and a seat-by-seat breakdown when their count is complete. Until that official release, claims of victory and projections of parliamentary majorities remain subject to confirmation under Guyana's electoral procedures.