By Staff Writer | Investigative Desk
Georgetown, Guyana — The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has declared its ambition to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority in the upcoming September 1 general and regional elections, sparking sharp criticism from political observers who warn that the claim is mathematically improbable and potentially dangerous.
Speaking at a public meeting in Lodge, Attorney-at-Law and PPP supporter James Bond stated, “We got to beat them by at least 10 seats.” That would push the party’s 2020 tally of 33 seats to 43, just one shy of the 44 required for a constitutional supermajority in Guyana’s 65-seat National Assembly.
Bond’s confidence was echoed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who predicted that the PPP would flip both Regions 4 and 10, traditionally opposition strongholds. “They must no longer have the majority to stifle the development of these regions,” Edghill said.
Minister of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, also claimed the party had seen “about 10,000 new votes” in Region 4, and emphasized the PPP’s intention to gain control of Georgetown’s City Council.
But political analyst Randy Gopaul urged skepticism. “The numbers don’t support a two-thirds path,” he said. “In 2020, the PPP won 33 seats with just over 50% of the vote. Even with a 55 to 58 percent showing, which is unlikely given the rise of third-party competition, they’d fall short of 44 seats.”
Gopaul noted that the newly formed WIN party, led by Azruddin Mohamed, is drawing significant support from traditional PPP constituencies, particularly among Indo-Guyanese voters. “The PPP is facing internal erosion,” he added. “These two-thirds claims feel more like narrative-setting than grounded strategy.”
Critics fear the messaging is part of a broader effort to normalize an implausible electoral outcome. “This may be a case of conditioning the public,” one civil society observer said, “so if inflated results are announced, they’ll seem less suspicious.”
The stakes are high. A two-thirds majority would allow the ruling party to amend entrenched constitutional provisions, such as presidential term limits, immunities, and election eligibility, without bipartisan support.
With election day approaching, watchdogs are calling for increased scrutiny from the press and transparency from electoral authorities. “Aspirations are one thing,” Gopaul concluded, “but voters deserve realism, not manufactured inevitability.”
