Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, prime ministerial candidate for the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, has accused the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of using state resources and targeted handouts to entrench its political dominance while undermining democratic accountability.
In a recent social media statement, Sarabo-Halley argued that the PPP’s actions reflect a long-term strategy to centralise power and manipulate the political playing field in its favour.
“The PPP is not a party that believes in accountability, transparency, or democracy,” she wrote. “Their agenda is to use short-term handouts to secure long-term control over every arm of government. The false image of inclusivity that they sell is nothing more than a tactic, a cover for a deeper plan of dominance.”
She claimed the ruling party’s approach amounts to “paying the population into authoritarianism,” accusing it of bribery, manipulation of the voters’ list, and relying on Commonwealth and naturalised citizens to make up for demographic shifts.
“The truth, now admitted by the PPP’s own General Secretary [Vice President Bhjarrat Jagdeo], is that the Indian population, the group they historically rely on, has declined as a share of Guyana’s total population. That is the reality. And it explains why the PPP has resorted to bribery, manipulation of the voters’ list, and dependence on Commonwealth and naturalized citizens to buffer their shortfall.”
The PPP government continues to withhold the release of the 2022 National Census, which became a major point of contention during the recently concluded General and Regional Elections. The absence of this critical data denied political parties and civil society access to updated information on Guyana’s ethnic composition. This has raised concerns that the PPP, in a society where much of the Indo-Guyanese community has remained largely loyal to the party despite grievances, may have withheld the data to avoid any impact it could have had on electoral strategies and outcomes.
Sarabo-Halley said the PPP had not anticipated the emergence of WIN and claimed that the outcome of recent Regional Democratic Council (RDC) elections in Region 4 had disrupted the ruling party’s plans for uncontested control.
“They thought Region 4 was secured, but the new [Regional Democratic Council] RDC balance has shattered that illusion. Now, they will attempt to use money as their weapon, first to buy influence at the RDC level, then in the [Neighbourhood Democratic Councils] NDCs and City Councils, until they achieve full control.”
She warned that if left unchecked, the PPP’s strategy could lead to “a government with unchecked power,” as well as “overreach into all three arms of government” and “little to no oversight or accountability.”
Positioning WIN as a bulwark against this outcome, Sarabo-Halley said her party is prepared to resist what she described as creeping authoritarianism and urged Guyanese to mobilise ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
“Our mission must be the mission of every Guyanese: to ensure the PPP never achieves its goal through bribery, intimidation, or deception,” she said. “We must safeguard our democracy… protect our rights, our freedoms, and our children’s future.”
She concluded with a stark message:
“This is a battle of good versus evil. The decision is clear: do you want authoritarianism to continue or should democracy prevail? Together, Guyana must choose good. We must choose WIN.”
The PPP has not yet responded publicly to Sarabo-Halley’s remarks.
