Guyana elects a leader amid controversy over oil wealth

Guyanese voters head to the polls Monday to elect members of parliament and the president who will decide how the hydrocarbon boom in the South American nation will be spent.

Since ExxonMobil began pumping offshore oil late in 2019, Guyana has seen its economy grow at a rate of 7.5 billion dollars.

Irfaan Ali is running for reelection as the leader of the People's Progressive Party. He has been in office since 2020. His government has used oil revenue to build roads, hospitals and schools. It also made studying at the state-run university free.

Tanya Mohabir is a 30-year old meteorologist who said that the PPP had invested in education and skill development throughout Guyana. She cited 20,000 government-funded scholarships for online certificates and degrees.

Opposition groups claim that oil revenues disproportionately benefit well-connected groups, in a nation where political loyalty has long been divided largely on ethnic lines between Indo-Guyanese (Indo-Guyanese) and Afro-Guyanese (Afro-Guyanese) communities. The PPP denies this allegation.

Three of the five opposition parties to the PPP also promised to renegotiate Exxon's contract for the country.

Some people hope to use Monday's vote in order to deny Ali’s party a majoritarian majority, as it only controls one seat currently, and force the party to seek opposition support to its legislation.

The new We Invest in Nationhood party (WIN), led by popular businessman Azruddin Mohammed, has added uncertainty to the race. Azruddin and his father Nazar were sanctioned last year by the U.S. over allegations they defrauded Guyanese officials of tax revenues and bribed them. They deny all wrongdoing.

The manifesto of the younger Mohamed's Party calls for a fairer housing system and more opportunities for all, not just a few. He has gained support from voters, especially those who are looking for an alternative to the establishment parties.

Carlton Hazelwood (27), a WIN supporter, said, "I expect WIN to improve justice, health, and human services." He also said that the welfare programs offered by the government do not reach those who are in need.

The voting at 2,800 polling stations will start at 6 am (noon GMT), and end at 6 pm.

Guyana's election in 2020 was marred with a five-month dispute over the counting of votes. The elections commission is planning to release the results on Wednesday. (Reporting and editing by Julia Symmes Cobb, Edmund Klamann, and Kemol King)

(source: Reuters)