GEORGETOWN (Reuters) -Guyanese voters will cast general election ballots on Monday to decide whether President Irfaan Ali's ruling People's Progressive Party preserves its parliamentary majority and keeps steering one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
Powered by offshore discoveries made by ExxonMobil, the South American country, home to some 800,000 people, has recorded double-digit economic growth for five years straight.
But opposition groups - including five parties challenging the PPP
for parliamentary seats - say the government's infrastructure-heavy spending drive has not done enough to address high everyday expenses and improve the quality of life.
The PPP, which scraped together a majority of 33 of 65 National Assembly seats in the 2020 election, is widely expected to secure the most seats again because of its strong base among Indo-Guyanese voters, Guyana's largest ethnic group, and the fracturing of a coalition that once unseated it.
Even a small drop in seats could force the party to seek opposition support to pass laws.
The government has given annual pay hikes to its workers and offered cash transfers to Guyanese residents while expanding its housing program, though critics allege PPP loyalists benefited most, an accusation Ali has denied.
"President Ali has delivered on many of his promises through healthcare, infrastructure, and especially with empowering youths," said Chandradatt Jagdeo, a 24-year-old medical student, highlighting a government decision to make tuition free at the University of Guyana and other state institutions.
A gas-to-power project the government championed was originally expected to be completed last year, reducing power bills and frequent blackouts, but it has been delayed to mid-2026.
Three opposition parties have vowed to seek a larger share of earnings from the country's contract with Exxon.
Two of them - A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) - signed the deal while in government in 2016 and rejected calls to renegotiate it, but changed their stance after leaving office.
Ali's government says it will preserve the deal, which Exxon says it will not reopen.
"I support the APNU because I think they have a very sound policy when it comes to people's development, in terms of alleviating poverty for the masses, and not just a section of people," said Maxine Aaron, 66, a retired veterinarian, adding education for young people is vital.
WILD CARD?
The APNU and AFC, former coalition government partners, are running separately this year, but have both pledged to channel more oil wealth to low-income communities.
Meanwhile, popular businessman and former PPP donor Azruddin Mohamed could be a wild card.
Mohamed and his father, gold mining magnate Nazar Mohamed, were sanctioned by the U.S. last year over allegations they defrauded Guyana's government of tax revenue and bribed public officials.
Reuters reported in 2023 that U.S. authorities believe the family is using its gold-mining export routes to smuggle illegal gold from Venezuela and Colombian cocaine.
The Mohameds have denied all wrongdoing, calling the accusations defamatory.
The younger Mohamed has built popularity in poor and Indigenous communities through philanthropy and founded his We Invest in Nationhood Party in June.
Two new parties formed by ex-APNU members are also running candidates.
Guyana's 2020 election was marred by a five-month standoff over vote counting, before Ali was declared the winner. This time, the elections commission has said it is working to deliver results by Wednesday.
(Reporting by Kemol KingEditing by Julia Symmes Cobb and Rod Nickel)
