On September 1, 2025, Guyanese will not merely cast ballots; they will issue a verdict. The General and Regional Elections are no routine democratic exercise—they are a referendum on a government that has betrayed its people, squandered a historic opportunity, and entrenched a system of corruption and division. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), in power since 2020, has failed to deliver on its promises of prosperity, unity, and progress. Instead, it has delivered a masterclass in self-enrichment, cronyism, and authoritarianism. As Guyana stands at a crossroads, the question is not just who will govern, but whether the nation will reclaim its future from those who have plundered it.
The PPP/C’s ascent to power in 2020 was marred by a very contentious electoral process that left deep scars on Guyana’s democratic fabric. Allegations of fraud, international scrutiny, and a prolonged recount cast a long dark shadow over their legitimacy. Still, they took political office with grand promises: a united Guyana, shared prosperity driven by newfound oil wealth, and a government for all. Five years later, these pledges lie in tatters. The “One Guyana” slogan rings hollow, a cruel irony in a nation more divided than ever—split between the privileged few who feast on the nation’s wealth with nauseating gluttony, and the many who scrape by in its shadow.
The PPP/C has governed not as a democratic administration but as a cabal, consolidating power and wealth with ruthless efficiency. Guyana’s oil and gas boom, which should have been a transformative force for schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, has instead become a feeding trough for the connected elite. Billions of dollars have vanished into opaque contracts, inflated infrastructure projects, and sweetheart deals for party loyalists. Rural communities languish without basic services, small businesses struggle under bureaucratic red tape, and young Guyanese face a future where opportunity is reserved for those with the right political ties. This is not governance—it is exploitation masquerading as leadership.
Under the PPP/C regime, Guyana’s democratic institutions have been systematically undermined. The rule of law, the bedrock of any functioning society, is under siege. The judiciary, meant to be an independent arbiter, has been sidelined by political interference. Parliament, the voice of the people, is treated with contempt—its proceedings stifled, its oversight powers ignored. Constitutional appointments, critical to checks and balances, are delayed or politicised, leaving key institutions like the Elections Commission and anti-corruption bodies in limbo. The police, procurement boards, and public service agencies have become tools of the state, their independence eroded by partisan meddling.
Local governance has fared no better. Regional Democratic Councils, the City Council and other local councils designed to empower local communities, are bullied into submission or bypassed entirely when they dare challenge the PPP/C’s agenda. This centralisation of power is not just undemocratic—it is authoritarian, cloaked in the rhetoric of progress. The PPP/C’s disdain for dissent has created a chilling effect: citizens hesitate to speak out, fearing retribution, while civil society and the media face increasing pressure to toe the government line. Guyana’s democracy is not just weakened; it is on life support.
Sadly, Guyana’s oil wealth, once heralded as a game-changer, has become a curse under the PPP/C’s mismanagement. Interestingly, the nation ranks among the world’s fastest-growing economies, yet the benefits are invisible to most. Blackouts plague urban and rural areas alike, roads remain potholed and impassable, teachers strike for livable wages, and hospitals turn away patients for lack of beds or medicine. Why? The answer: Because the PPP/C has no vision beyond self-enrichment. There is no national development plan, no strategy to diversify the economy, and no commitment to transparency in how oil revenues are spent. The Natural Resource Fund (NRF), meant to safeguard Guyana’s wealth for future generations, is treated as a piggy bank for political pet projects.
The numbers tell a damning story. Guyana’s GDP has skyrocketed, yet poverty rates remain stubbornly high. Unemployment, particularly among youth, is a persistent scourge; never mind the scandalous 10- day work scheme used to enlist unsuspecting poor citizens into doing flunky political for the PPP/C. Inflation, driven by mismanaged fiscal policies, eats away at the purchasing power of ordinary Guyanese. The cost- of- living soars while wages stagnate, leaving families to choose between food and rent. Meanwhile, the PPP/C touts vanity projects—bridges, roads and stadiums that benefit contractors more than citizens—while certain schools construction projects remain incomplete and healthcare falters, on the side of technological and human competencies. This is not leadership; it is massive act of plunder of the nation’s resources.
The PPP/C’s rhetoric of “One Guyana” is not only laughable but also a cruel façade. Ethnic and social divides have deepened under their watch, with local communities pitted against each other to distract from the government’s failures. Indigenous villages, long neglected, receive token gestures while their lands are exploited for resource wealth. Afro-Guyanese communities, particularly in urban areas, face systemic marginalisation, their concerns dismissed as political opposition. Even within the PPP/C’s traditional base, discontent grows as promises of jobs and opportunity give way to favouritism and exclusion. The government’s policies have created two Guyanas: one for the elite, who live in luxury, and one for the masses, who struggle to survive.
This division is not accidental—it is strategic. By fostering discord, the PPP/C deflects scrutiny from its failures. But Guyanese are not fooled. From the markets of Georgetown to the villages of Berbice, from the minibus parks of Linden to the boardrooms of New Amsterdam, the same question echoes: Are we better off than we were five years ago? The answer is a resounding no. The PPP/C’s betrayal is not just economic—it is moral. They have broken faith with a nation that dared to hope for better.
The election on September 1, 2025, is more than a choice between parties or candidates—it is a reckoning. Guyanese face a stark decision: Do we accept a future of centralised corruption, ethnic division, and inequality? Or do we demand a nation rooted in justice, fairness, respect, inclusion, and accountability? The PPP/C has had five years to prove itself and has failed spectacularly. Their record is one of broken promises, squandered wealth, and eroded trust. They have governed for the few, not the many, and their time is up.
This is not a call for despair but for action. Guyana’s people are its greatest asset—resilient, resourceful, and ready for change. On September 1, let every vote be a declaration of defiance against a system that thrives on division and greed. Let it be a demand for leaders who prioritise schools over scandals, hospitals over handouts, and opportunity over opportunism. Let it be a rejection of the PPP/C’s vision of a Guyana where only the connected prosper.
We, APNU-WPA- the next government will restore what the PPP/C has broken. The leader and presidential candidate, Aubrey Norton, of our party- APNU- has already promised to form a government of integrity, where the rule of law prevails. We will rebuild trust in institutions by ensuring judicial independence, transparent procurement, and accountable governance. We will invest oil wealth in people—through education, healthcare, and infrastructure that serves all, not just the elite. We will foster unity, not division, by addressing the needs of every community, from the coastland to the hinterland. And we are committed to a national development plan that diversifies the economy, creates jobs, and secures Guyana’s future beyond oil.
Guyanese need a government that sees them not as subjects to be managed but as citizens to be empowered. On September 1, 2025, the power to demand that government lies in our hands. Let us seize this moment to reclaim Guyana—not for a privileged few, but for all its people. Let our votes ring out as a resounding call: Enough. It is time for a new chapter, one where every Guyanese can rise, united, in a nation that finally lives up to its promise
