Last Sunday, President Irfaan Ali announced that Guyana’s General and Regional Elections are scheduled for September 1, 2025. Meanwhile, the opposition remains undecided whether to contest the elections as a coalition or rally behind a consensus presidential candidate.
In this context, Dr. Terrence Campbell’s public endorsement of veteran statesman Carl Greenidge as the opposition’s consensus presidential candidate for the upcoming elections, highlighting Greenidge’s experience and leadership qualities., has generated attention.
“Let me first say that I have quietly advanced the name of Carl Greenidge, as a Consensus Presidential Candidate for the Opposition, for more than one year,” Campbell said. “Second, I would publicly support his candidacy if he accepted such an offer. Third, I would happily serve in his administration if I were invited to do so.”
Campbell emphasised Greenidge’s track record, noting his role as Finance Minister in the 1990s, during which Guyana returned to a path of economic growth. “Carl has the knowledge and experience to avoid the failures of the last Coalition. As the Finance Minister who returned Guyana to a path of growth in the 1990s, he has the ability to correct the current pattern of excessive spending to one of sustainable development.”
He also criticised People’s Progressive Party (PPP) supporters for overlooking corruption due to concerns about the opposition’s competence, saying, “The supporters of the PPP turn a blind eye to its corruption since they view the current Opposition as lacking managerial competence. In one fell swoop, a Carl Greenidge candidacy will overcome those concerns.”
Campbell called on Opposition leaders Aubrey Norton and Nigel Hughes “to give serious consideration to this recommendation.”
Political commentator GHK Lall also recently urged the divided opposition factions—the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Alliance For Change (AFC)—to unite behind Carl Greenidge. Writing in a pointed op-ed, Lall warned the opposition is “floundering massively,” caught between factions loyal to PNCR leader Aubrey Norton and AFC leader Nigel Hughes.
Lall described Greenidge as “a PNC luminary and a PPP border stalwart,” underscoring his bipartisan respect earned through roles such as Minister of Finance, CARICOM representative, and his involvement in the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.
“There is no more arduous and minefield-laden job in Guyana than the tightrope that Mr. Greenidge walks,” Lall wrote, highlighting Greenidge’s ability to serve with distinction under both PNC and PPP administrations.
The call for consensus builds amidst halted coalition talks and growing public dissatisfaction. AFC leader Nigel Hughes publicly expressed willingness to step aside for a unifying candidate, stating in March, “I’m personally prepared to step aside from the presidential candidacy in favour of a third-party candidate who can unite the opposition for the good of the country.”
Recent polls reveal 62% of Guyanese want new national leadership, with low confidence in both President Ali (29%) and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo (25%). PNCR leader Aubrey Norton faces 69% opposition to his continued coalition leadership.
Lall argued Greenidge’s “wash of experience” could re-energise the opposition and improve credibility. “Though I don’t know the man, have never had occasion to speak with him,” Lall wrote, “I think that he is a name to draw more than the regular crowd.”
He added that Greenidge’s role as a trusted PPP adviser on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy complicates the PPP’s ability to undermine him. “What is Jagdeo going to do? Denounce him? Disparage his work?”
Lall also criticised the current campaign season’s lack of vitality, calling it “flat to boring, anemic to asinine.” Apart from “the energies and fight” of Working People’s Alliance’s Dr. David Hinds, he said the race lacks competitiveness. He described Jagdeo’s dominance as “a combination of King Kong and Godzilla and the Guyanese version of a political Hannibal Lecter.”
For both Campbell and Lall, Carl Greenidge represents a credible alternative who could restore balance and competitiveness to Guyana’s democracy, just as the nation approaches a crucial election date.
