Dear Editor,
Although opposition parties and groups have expressed optimism that the 2025 elections could produce a minority Government in Guyana, they are overlooking their own challenges. Additionally, while the results of the recent so-called scientific poll (of 8/27/2025) offered them encouragement, their confidence was quickly tempered by critical assessments of the poll’s methodology and findings by Professor Narayan Persaud, Professor Randy Persaud, and others.
The opposition prefers a minority Government, hoping to check the PPP/C’s power and oversee the nation’s treasury, which they believe is overflowing with oil revenues. In a country without a dominant ethnic group, it is unclear why any political party that is genuinely committed to development and territorial integrity would aim only for the opposition and not seek full leadership in Parliament and in the Government.
The main opposition, APNU, has lost several leaders to the PPP/C and to the new WIN party; both (APNU and WIN) aim to form a minority Government. Like APNU, the WIN party seeks to undermine the PPP/C’s efforts at re-election, while its controversial leader, Azruddin Mohamed, refers to himself “as your President”.
The idea of minority Government has been advanced by former ANUG members as a political strategy to weaken the PPP/C in its Governmental functions. In the pursuit of this objective, Nigel Hughes, who became leader of the AFC, immediately went on a mission to challenge the PPP’s support base in the Amerindian communities. He felt that if AFC could get 2 or 3 seats from Amerindian communities, they would come closer to achieving a minority Government status.
Hughes’ political message failed to gain traction, and his party did not succeed in this regard. Alongside APNU, he supported Azruddin Mohamed’s involvement in politics, believing his financial resources could influence Amerindian communities and the PPPC base. Aligning with the opposition, Chris Ram glorifies WIN’s leader, Azruddin Mohamed, and compares him with eminent scholar and politician Dr Walter Rodney. Needless to say, that position of Ram stunned most Guyanese. Ram also asserts that Azruddin Mohamed would split Muslim and Amerindian votes, making religion a divisive factor in politics.
The opposition parties’ political calculation did not work. Azruddin’s WIN party has instead energised the PPP/C and its base while disrupting APNU’s support. Instead, WIN’s growing influence has increased APNU’s political distress, positioning WIN as a rival to APNU among opposition parties. It remains uncertain whether APNU has managed to halt WIN’s momentum in the final days of campaigning.
There will be no minority Government. The PPPC is projected to win 36 seats, aligning with figures from Prof. Narayan Persaud, Dr Ganga Ramdas, and Ravi Dev.
APNU, WIN, and AFC (with one seat) will form the opposition, while FMG and ALP are not projected to secure any seats.
Interesting days are ahead.