Just weeks after the September 1 General and Regional Elections, Guyana’s opposition parties have found themselves in disarray — a collapse that has allowed the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to secure control of critical regional seats, including the prized Region Four. Region Four is the most populous region in Guyana, home to the seat of central government, the country’s main commercial hub, and the largest Regional Democratic Council, comprising 35 seats.
Veteran journalist Adam Harris, in a sharply worded commentary, describes the opposition’s performance as “a comedy of errors and egotistic behaviour” that handed the PPP victories it could not have secured on its own.
“All the political parties except the incumbent People’s Progressive Party went into the September 1, 2025 elections with the aim of toppling the government,” Harris writes. “They all contended that the PPP was corrupt and needed to be removed from office.”
Instead, the outcome has left the opposition fractured and ineffective — and the PPP firmly in control of the country’s most populous region.
PPP Grabs Region Four After Opposition Implosion
The control of Region Four — long coveted by the PPP — was seen as a key battleground. With 35 councillors, the combined opposition held 18 votes, enough to elect both chair and vice-chair. But internal division derailed that possibility.
In the end, the PPP secured both leadership positions, despite holding only 17 seats.
“Had the opposition formed a united front, Jagdeo’s dream of controlling Region Four would not have been realised,” Harris contends.
On October 10 elections were held for Chair and Vice Chair in all the ten administrative regions.
Reports suggest the smaller opposition party WIN (We Invest In Nationhood) abstained from voting, and at least one APNU councillor may have crossed the floor in the secret ballot. Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) confirmed its vote went to APNU, meaning two APNU members likely failed to back their party’s own nominee.
“There is the accusation that one APNU member voted for the PPP against his own party’s nominee… The conclusion is that two APNU members failed to cast a ballot to help the party.”
Region Eight: Power Lost Through Backroom Deals
In Region Eight, the PPP and WIN each secured seven seats, with APNU holding the deciding vote. The result? The PPP was granted the chairmanship, while APNU took the vice chair — sidelining WIN entirely.
Harris highlights the fallout:
“WIN would have been angry at being left out of the leadership of a region in which it did remarkably well. It had secured the joint highest number of seats.”
Though APNU claims there was no deal with the PPP, the optics and outcome have only deepened mistrust among opposition ranks.
Region Ten Gridlock and Personal Feuds
Region Ten remains deadlocked. APNU has nominated Dominique Blair for chair, but former vice-chair Mark Goring, aligned with WIN, is refusing to step aside.
“Sharma Solomon said that his party gave Goring all the support he needed while in office. He cannot understand this vehemence on the part of Goring against APNU.”
Goring’s refusal appears to be personal. He is quoted as saying he wanted to “bury APNU” — a remark that would have inflamed tensions if a joint opposition meeting had been held, something Harris says could have changed the entire outcome.
“Indeed, that would have been the wisest thing to do… Differences could have been resolved and what transpired in the end could have been avoided.”
Region Ten’s tie must now be broken through public voting by councillors. If that fails, the law requires the outcome to be determined by drawing lots.
A Partyless Parliament?
With the PPP capitalising on opposition fragmentation, Harris warns that the real loser is not just APNU or WIN — but Guyana’s democracy.
“This does not signal a challenging time for the PPP in parliament. Should this situation continue then rest assured people would be right when they say that Guyana has no parliamentary opposition.”
Instead of standing united to hold government accountable, the opposition has turned on itself — allowing the very administration it sought to unseat to tighten its grip on power.
The consequences could be far-reaching. Without a credible or coherent parliamentary opposition, legislative oversight, checks and balances, and democratic accountability all hang in the balance.
In the September 1, 2025 General Elections, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) secured 16 parliamentary seats, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) won 12 seats, and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) captured 1 seat — giving the combined opposition a total of 29 seats in the National Assembly.
