Guyana’s oil boom boosts Irfaan Ali as election approaches

# Guyana’s oil boom boosts Irfaan Ali as election approaches

*Event date: 2025-09-01*

Guyana heads into a general election with President Irfaan Ali and his ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic favored to win, aided by an oil boom that has transformed the country into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

The Guardian report describes a campaign mood of confidence among PPP/C supporters, with rallies full of flags, red shirts and horns. That enthusiasm is rooted in economic change. Oil production is expected to reach 1.3 million barrels a day by the end of 2027, and Guyana’s GDP has surged to nearly $26 billion, almost five times its level five years ago.

The transformation is visible in Georgetown, where the report cites widened highways, a new four-lane bridge over the Demerara River, and a wave of public and private construction including schools, hospitals, hotels and malls. Ali’s government has also used cash grants, including a 100,000 Guyanese dollar payment to adults with valid ID or passports, to reinforce the sense that oil wealth is reaching households.

Yet the opposition says the boom has not produced broad enough gains. Aubrey Norton of A Partnership for National Unity argued that the money is being wasted on projects that do not solve everyday problems. Supporters in opposition rallies echoed complaints about housing, wages and the rising cost of living.

That gap matters because Guyana’s politics have long been interpreted through ethnic blocs. The report notes that Indo-Guyanese have traditionally backed the PPP/C while Afro-Guyanese leaned toward APNU. But analysts quoted in the piece say that pattern is weakening as younger voters weigh performance and delivery more than racial identity.

The article also highlights a newer wild card: We Invest in Nationhood, led by Azruddin Mohamed, whose family has been sanctioned by the US over allegations of tax fraud and bribery that they deny. While it is unclear how much support the new party will convert into votes, its rise shows that Guyana’s political landscape is more fluid than the old two-party model suggested.

For Ali, the election is a test of whether oil wealth can translate into lasting political legitimacy. The answer may depend on whether voters see tangible improvements in their lives or mainly large projects and macroeconomic growth. The report suggests the incumbent enters the vote with a real advantage, but also with pressure to prove that the boom benefits more than a few.