Guyana President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday said he expects a clear trend to emerge as ballot counting continues from Monday’s general and regional elections.
An estimated 757,690 Guyanese were eligible to vote in the polls, which were held on a public holiday. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been publishing statements of poll on its website, with official results expected by Thursday.
“By the end of today, the trend will be clear, and we will be in a position to move forward together,” Ali said in a statement, praising citizens for the “peaceful electoral process” and urging them to celebrate democratic values.
GECOM’s public relations officer, Yolanda Ward, cautioned that only official results posted on the commission’s website or announced by returning officers should be trusted, warning that the publication of fake results will be investigated by police.
Six parties contested the election, including the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Alliance for Change (AFC), We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), the Forward Guyana Movement, and the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP). Six candidates, among them President Ali and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, vied for the presidency.
Both major parties acknowledged a lower voter turnout than in 2020 but expressed confidence of victory. PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo suggested the early trends pointed to a strong showing for the incumbent party, while Norton argued the reduced turnout was more evident in PPP strongholds.
AFC candidate Nigel Hughes interpreted the low turnout as voter dissatisfaction. “A low turnout is a rejection of all of the competitors,” he said, adding that the lack of engagement was striking given Guyana’s booming oil wealth.
The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which deployed 200 observers nationwide, described the elections as free and fair, noting polling stations were generally well organised and GECOM staff acted professionally. The ERC urged political leaders to call for calm and for supporters to respect the outcome once results are declared.
There were 2,790 polling stations across the country
