Voters in Guyana and Jamaica delivered fresh mandates to their incumbent leaders this week, extending the region’s recent streak of political continuity while reshaping opposition landscapes in both countries.
In Guyana, President Irfaan Ali declared victory for a second five-year term as his People’s Progressive Party (PPP) surged to decisive district wins and a commanding popular vote lead. The BBC reported that the PPP had so far secured at least 242,000 votes and majorities in eight of 10 districts.
The new challenger, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), founded just three months ago by US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, stormed into second place with about 109,000 votes. This represents a major shift in a political arena long dominated by the PPP and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
Preliminary tallies suggest further upsets ahead in the 65-seat National Assembly. It is projected that WIN could pick up around 16 seats, while APNU, which formed government as recent as 2015, could sink to “no more than a dozen seats compared to the 31 it had in the last parliament.” The Alliance for Change (AFC), which previously partnered with APNU in government, has so far failed to secure a single seat.
The opposition’s fragmentation which stems from failure to agree to a coalition looms large in the outcome. “People were hoping for a coalition. When we didn’t get it, some felt you couldn’t win without it,” said APNU leader Aubrey Norton in a concession speech.
Political analyst Mark Kirton argues that WIN’s unconventional campaign found traction. “Mohamed de-intellectualised politics. He did not worry about things like fiscal policies and GDP. He addressed the needs of poor people with cash and other gifts and appealed to youth,” said Kirton, adding that the electorate were “unconcerned” about US sanctions allegations against Mohamed.
Ali’s renewed mandate comes amid Guyana’s oil-era transformation. Offshore discoveries announced since 2019 have quadrupled the national budget and vaulted the country into the ranks of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The PPP campaigned on channeling those oil revenues into infrastructure and poverty reduction while navigating a tense territorial standoff with Venezuela.
Election observers from the Organisation of American States “have not yet reported any instances of electoral fraud,” even as officials noted a security scare on the eve of the vote when a boat carrying election staff was reportedly shot at from the Venezuelan shore.
In Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness led the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to a historic third consecutive term, winning 34 of 63 seats against the People’s National Party’s (PNP) 29. The Gleaner reported that the JLP secured 413,502 votes, some 10,311 more than the PNP, with a voter turnout of about 39.5% (one of the lowest in decades). The victory extends the JLP’s dominance since it ended its 18-year drought in 2007, edging Holness closer to former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson’s record tenure.
“This was not victory by default. Make no mistake about it, this was not an easy victory, this was a fight, but we did not descend my political organisation, we did not descend to the gutter to fight… We did not seek to tear down Jamaica in order to be able to administer the affairs of Jamaicans. We ran a clean, disciplined, focused, well-organised campaign,” said Holness in a celebratory but measured speech.
The Prime Minister also addressed the sobering turnout and promised disciplined governance in a third term. “We must guard against arrogance… This Government, in our third term, must be laser-focused on ensuring that there is prosperity for all Jamaicans.”
The campaign spotlighted the JLP’s economic stewardship, including no new taxes in eight years, falling unemployment and poverty, and a reported 43% drop in murders this year, alongside pledges to double the minimum wage over the term. The PNP attacked the government over corruption allegations and infrastructure gaps, and promised tax relief and a 50,000-home building push, but fell short in key bellwether seats.
While both elections unfolded against a backdrop of heightened US naval activity in the southern Caribbean, the domestic verdict was clear: voters favoured the known quantities. In Guyana, the PPP’s renewed grip combines with an incoming, insurgent opposition, while in Jamaica, Holness’ JLP consolidates power with the promise of renewal. The results appear to be affirmation of incumbency in a region navigating economic windfalls, security anxieties, and democratic tests.
Source: Caribbean Insight