With boots on the ground and supporters mobilised online, the parliamentary opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) staged a forceful protest on Monday, first at the Square of the Revolution and then outside the Office of the President, holding the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government accountable for its promise to deliver a $200,000 cash grant to every Guyanese adult before Christmas. APNU has vowed to return every Monday until the government honours its commitment.
Frustration among protesters was unmistakable as APNU leaders questioned whether the government understands, or even cares about, the desperation many citizens now face. They reiterated that the opposition’s own proposed grant of $150,000 is financially feasible, noting that by December 2025 approximately 604,000 citizens would qualify, placing the total payout at $90.6 billion.
The demonstration revived anger over President Irfaan Ali’s remark in August, which many saw as condescending. As though addressing children rather than citizens, he had said, “If you behave yourself, you’ll get it this year.” With less than two weeks before Christmas and no sign of the promised grant, commentators are comparing the president’s unfulfilled pledge to the Grinch stealing Christmas, only this time the disappointment is felt by a population already buckling under economic strain.
Guyana is celebrated internationally as one of the fastest growing oil economies in the world. Yet at home, the contrast is stark. Poverty is estimated at 58 percent, with 32 percent living in abject poverty, and some analysts warn these figures may be even higher due to weak data collection systems.
While ordinary Guyanese struggle with soaring food prices, unreliable utilities and mounting expenses, the political elite continues to stage lavish events and publicly display wealth that seems painfully out of reach for the average household. Monday’s protest was a public rebuke of this disconnect.
Protesters held several placards , some of which read, ” Give us our cash grant, Mr. President,” “Ministers getting fat cheques while the people are starving. Pay the cash grant now,” “You made a promise!! Give us our Christmas grant now” “Keep your promise, we still waiting.” Former APNU minister and Leader of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity Simona Broomes was among the notable figures present, joined by VPAC leader Dorwain Bess, Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Tacuma Ogunseye, other civil society notables and APNU parliamentarians.
Broomes, known for her rights activism, insisted that Guyana urgently needs a clear and permanent framework for annual cash transfers, especially given its oil wealth. Guyanese recall the long standing proposal by labour economist Professor Clive Thomas, who in 1998 argued that every household should receive G$1Million, even before oil was extracted. Since 1999, Guyana has earned more than US$6 Billion in oil revenue.
Broomes emphasised that the country’s resources do not belong to any political party but to all Guyanese. She stressed that studies already exist to guide the government and argued there is no legitimate reason for inaction. She did not mince words when she declared, “For six years you have not delivered potable, treated water, you have not delivered electricity, you have not delivered sustainable development. So where is this money going?”
The holiday season is here and the PPP administration now confronts a direct moral and political reckoning sharpened by Monday’s protest. A government presiding over an unprecedented oil boom yet withholding relief from a struggling population must answer a fundamental question.
Does it truly care about the society it governs or only about preserving power. Protesters made their position unmistakable. Guyanese demand accountability, they demand action, and they demand the promised cash before Christmas, and APNU says it will be back every Monday until that promise is fulfilled.
