PROJECTION: Dr Irfaan Ali secures second term

Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, 45, is projected to win a second term in office following general and regional elections held on Monday.

Results from most election poll statements posted online by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), show that Dr Ali and the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) have won the majority of votes.

In a message before GECOM announced the official results, President Ali urged Guyanese “to celebrate our democratic values as we open another chapter in the development of our beautiful country.”

Over 372,000 people voted on Monday, and of the votes cast, the PPP/C secured more than 200,000 votes. This means that the PPP/C will make up the majority in the 65-seat legislature and form the next government.

Significantly, the News Room projects that the PPP/C will win Region Four, the country’s largest electoral district. It is a district that the PPP has never won since Guyana gained independence in 1966.

The Statements of Poll (SOPs) show that the PPP/C has won eight of the country’s 10 electoral districts – Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9.

The newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (W.I.N.) party, led by billionaire Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by the United States for bribery and corruption, has won the other two Districts.

The fortunes of W.I.N will put it as the main opposition party, dethroning the Aubrey Norton-led PNC.

Editor’s Note: This story was amended following the declaration of results for Region 8, which now shows that the PPP has won that region.