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Mark France, the leader of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), which teamed up with We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) to contest the September 1 polls, is calling on his party members to accept their defeat “graciously.”

“Accepting Defeat graciously and working on the future is hard for many but we must abide by the rules we played by. Yes, many things to fix but people are looking up to us to lead.! Please lead by example!” France posted on his Facebook page on Thursday.

But his appeal for humility sparked backlash within WIN’s leadership. General Secretary Odessa Primus openly lashed out, threatening France’s parliamentary future if he did not retract his statement.

“You better take down this nonsense before you don’t make it parliament,” Primus commented under the post.

Despite the pushback, France has stood his ground, leaving the post up and doubling down on his call for acceptance, pointing to the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s landslide victory as undeniable.

“There is a reason why the PNC (APNU/AFC) were rejected by their traditional supporters. If you follow the same modus operandi you will get the same treatment by Guyanese voters later,” one of the posts read.

Another said, “With an LGE this year or next, there is no time to sit and pout but rather plan and build on our historic performance for future elections. Election mode stay activated!”

With 46,000+ votes more than the other five parties combined, Jagdeo says PPP has ‘landslide’ victory

WIN, however, continues to challenge the credibility of the election results, even calling for a national recount – a flashback to the 2020 elections, when the APNU+AFC’s attempt to rig the vote plunged Guyana into a five-month-long crisis.

The post ANUG’s leader, partner of WIN, says opposition should accept results graciously appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has granted another request from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) for a recount of 77 ballot boxes from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Government-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj told the media on Thursday evening that the request from APNU “satisfied all the criteria necessary for a recount.”

APNU’s first request for a recount of Subdistrict Four of District Four is ongoing; it includes 391 ballot boxes, and by 18:00 hrs on Thursday, only 101 were completed.

As such, the recount for District Five will commence when the 391 boxes are completed. The process will continue uninterrupted until all the ballots are recounted.

Meanwhile, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party’s request for a recount of the entire District Four was denied by GECOM on the grounds that it was submitted to the Returning Officer by someone who is not authorised to do so.

WIN also requested a recount of District 8, and that too was denied on the same grounds. The deadline for recount requests is 12 noon the next day after the district results are declared

The post GECOM grants request for recount of 77 ballot boxes in Region 5 appeared first on News Room Guyana.

With just over 100 ballot boxes recounted for a section of Region Four, there has been no significant change in the numbers declared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Sase Gunraj, a government-nominated GECOM commissioner, told the media on Thursday evening.

“Of note and great importance, there is no significant change in the numbers that are already contained in Statements of Poll (SOPs) that have led to declarations. There is no significant change.

“There is perhaps a one here that might have been queried that questions are asked about, but by and large, there has been no significant change in the results.

“There is absolutely no way, unless something cataclysmic occurs and I don’t see that happening that the results will change in any significant way,” the GECOM Commissioner said.

Gunraj, is, however, concerned that the agents of the political party that requested the recount – A Partnership for National Unity –are not showing any “real” interest in the tedious recount process, giving credence to his earlier statements that it is delaying the inevitable re-election of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).

“While there are (party) agents in there, you are seeing no real interest from their leaders, you are seeing no real interest from their senior members, senior candidates, nothing like that. And it therefore begs the question if this is indeed a delaying tactic to frustrate the electorate and to frustrate this nation as a whole.”

There are 25 workstations involved in the recount process and there are agents from the six political parties that contested the September 1 polls to scrutinize the exercise. A total of 391 boxes have to be recounted for the subdistrict (East Coast Demerara).

Based on the results declared by the region’s Returning Officer and seen by the News Room, the PPP/C got 87,536 votes in the general election for District Four.

Surprisingly, the PNC-led APNU got 46,956 votes in this district; this district was never lost by the PNC, which morphed into APNU in 2011, since Guyana gained independence in 1966.

The third-highest number of votes went to the newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party; that party got 41,607 votes in the region.

The PPP/C increased its votes in this region by 6,616, but APNU’s 2020 lead was taken away following the emergence of WIN and the support that party garnered.

The post ‘No significant change in the numbers’ – Gunraj says as partial Reg. 4 recount moves ahead appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Gerry Gouveia Jr., on Thursday lauded Guyana’s General and Regional elections, held on September 1, as one of the most efficient and peaceful in the country’s history.

At a press conference, the PSC commended the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for managing the process with “efficiency, accuracy, and transparency.” Gouveia highlighted the timely online publication of results, which he said set “a strong standard for openness and accountability.”

Across the 2,790 polling stations nationwide, the PSC observed what it described as dedication, professionalism, and patience from GECOM staff.

“We commend the competence and dedication demonstrated by them,” the PSC said.

It acknowledged that while the recount process was not welcomed by all, it is an essential part of the democratic process.

The Commission applauded both GECOM and the Guyana Police Force for their professionalism in facilitating the recount and highlighted that all concerns raised by political parties and commentators had been appropriately addressed.

As one of the accredited local observer missions, the PSC deployed about 150 observers across Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine, and Ten. Teams were present to monitor the voting, the counting of Statements of Poll, and tabulation.

“From all the observations made across the country and from the observations we have now made at the recount, the PSC is satisfied that the declaration of results from GECOM is beyond challenge. We are fully confident in GECOM’s execution of both the electoral process and the recount, and we commend them for conducting it in a free, fair, transparent, and efficient manner,” Gouveia said.

While the overall process was smooth, the PSC highlighted a few areas for improvement. These include:

• Better access and accommodations for persons with disabilities
• Improved signage from the street to polling stations
• Enhanced working conditions, such as furnishing, ventilation, and climate control, to ease long hours for staff and voters

The Commission also expressed gratitude to its observers who worked long hours to ensure comprehensive monitoring and accurate reporting.

“We further commend the people of Guyana for the maturity and patience demonstrated throughout the electoral process, as well as the political leaders for exercising responsibility leadership, and respect for the rule of law.

“Together, we have shown the world that democracy in Guyana is strong and secure,” Gouveia stated.

The post Private Sector commends ‘most efficient and peaceful elections’ in Guyana’s history appeared first on News Room Guyana.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday made known that only the President, not Parliamentarians, has immunity.

Jagdeo alluded to concerns that Azruddin Mohamed contested the September 1 elections in a bid to secure the presidency and save himself from any punishment by way of Presidential immunity. Now that the results of the elections are known based on Statements of Poll (SOPs) and District Declarations, and the PPP/C is set to continue in government, Jagdeo said criminal behaviour will be investigated, and the courts and other bodies will continue their work “professionally and diligently.”

He also said no attempts to cause mayhem will be allowed.

“Azruddin Mohamed will not be allowed to disrupt the lives of our people if he has any intention,” Jagdeo said.

Per Guyana’s Constitution, the President has immunity from civil and criminal proceedings both during the other their term of office. That immunity, however, does not extend to members of the legislature.

On 11 June 2024, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury announced the imposition of sanctions against the Mohamed family—specifically targeting Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin Mohamed, and their businesses: Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World, and Team Mohamed’s Racing. These sanctions were related to alleged gold smuggling and corruption.

As a result of the OFAC sanctions, the Mohameds’ business licences were revoked, and their bank accounts were closed. Mae Thomas, the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, who was also sanctioned, and her family members had their accounts closed, too.

The post Parliamentarians don’t have immunity – Jagdeo appeared first on News Room Guyana.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, says the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR) hatred for the PPP/C is what ultimately led that party to lose much of its support to the newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) body.

Based on the Statements of Poll (SOPs) shared online by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and district declarations, the incumbent PPP/C won the 2025 elections.

Surprisingly, WIN captured the second-highest number of votes and not the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). The PPP and PNC have been Guyana’s major political parties since independence, and Jagdeo said the party should now do much introspection.

“The PNC now has to go back to the drawing board, and they have to decide whether their hatred of the PPP caused them to stop thinking. When a political party allows hatred of the other to dominate their tactics and political strategy, you will fail,” Jagdeo told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.

He added, “It’s a sad day for the PNC.”

Overall, six political parties contested the September 1 elections. The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is slated to announce the official declaration of the results soon. That declaration has been stalled by a recount requested by APNU in sub-district four of Region Four.

The post ‘It’s a sad day for the PNC’ – Jagdeo appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) increased its support in Region Four, Guyana’s most populated administrative region and the seat of the capital, but Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said a majority of the support traditionally garnered by the PNC, which has now morphed into APNU, went to the newly formed WIN party.

Jagdeo is the General Secretary of the PPP/C. He spoke about the September 1 polls at his press conference on Thursday.

Much attention has been directed to Region Four now that the PPP scored the most support here of the six contesting parties in the elections. APNU requested a recount of sub-district four of the region; that recount is ongoing, but has been described as a means to “delay the inevitable.”

The group of pie charts show the distribution of votes cast in District Four in Guyana’s General Elections from 2011 to 2025

Jagdeo said the PPP’s votes in Region Four increased by just over 6,000; the exact figure is 6,616. And that, he said, is not “implausible,” more so since there are over 37,000 new voters in the region.

PPP/C got 87,536 votes in the general election for Region Four.

Surprisingly, the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) got 46,956 votes in the region. This region was never lost by the PNC, which morphed into APNU in 2011, since Guyana gained independence in 1966. In 2020, APNU got 116,941 votes in the region while the PPP got 80,920.

For Jagdeo, it was WIN that took away APNU’s votes. The third-highest number of votes in Region Four went to the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party; that party got 41,607 votes in the region.

“He [Azruddin Mohamed, the WIN party leader] launched his party at the right time when there were lots of people who did not want to support APNU again, and they did not want to support the PPP,” Jagdeo said.

Meanwhile, the Forward Guyana Movement got 2,431 votes in the region, while the Alliance For Change got 1,765, and the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity got 497.

Elections 2025: PPP wins big in Region Four 

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Reaaz Bacchus, a 41-year-old truck driver was on Thursday freed of a narcotics trafficking charge after the court found there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

The case was heard before Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court.

Bacchus, a resident of New Amsterdam, Berbice was represented by attorney Bernard Da Silva.

During the trial, the court ruled against a no-case submission made by DaSilva.

As such, Bacchus was called upon to lead the defence.

However, after further submissions were made, the magistrate found that the evidence did not support a conviction. Bacchus was therefore found not guilty and discharged.

Bacchus was charged on July 9, 2024, with trafficking 9.25 kilograms of marijuana, allegedly concealed in two bulky shopping bags inside a toolbox under the truck he was driving.

He denied the allegation and was placed on $2.7 million bail. The charge stemmed from a July 5 arrest when police intercepted Bacchus’ truck along the Bagotstown Public Road, East Bank Demerara.

During the search, the suspected marijuana was discovered, and Bacchus reportedly told ranks that a “Rastaman” had given him the bags to deliver “over the west side.”

The post Truck driver freed of marijuana charge after trial appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) got a “landslide victory” in the 2025 General and Regional Elections, the party’s General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, said at his press conference on Thursday.

The elections were held on Monday, and by Tuesday, nearly all of the Statements of Poll (SOP) were uploaded to the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) website. And those SOPs, alongside the official district declarations shared on Wednesday, show a victory for the PPP/C.

Highlighting the numbers, Jagdeo said the PPP/C got 46,513 more votes than the other five contesting parties combined. That gave the party 55.32% of the overall votes cast, 10.8% more than the other parties.

Contrastingly, Jagdeo said the party got 50.7% of the total votes cast in 2020; that amounted to 6,390 more votes than the other parties contesting then.

So with these gains made, Jagdeo hailed the “incredible” results.

“This is a landslide by any standard.

“This result is not close by any standard, any standard in the world. Especially considering 2020,” Jagdeo said.

The 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.

However, APNU has requested a recount of sub-district four of Region Four. That recount is ongoing, though GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj said this is an attempt to “delay the inevitable.”

The post With 46,000+ votes more than the other five parties combined, Jagdeo says PPP has ‘landslide’ victory appeared first on News Room Guyana.

See below full statement:

Caribbean Airlines advises that, effective immediately, flights between Trinidad and Caracas, Venezuela, will be suspended for the month of September 2025.

The affected flights are as follows:

Passengers who are already booked on these services are being contacted by the airline and may rebook without any change fees, subject to the following conditions:

1. Waiver of all fees for tickets rebooked in the same cabin.

2. Passengers whose flights would have been impacted may be rebooked on any future available Caribbean Airlines service, with no penalty.

3. All changes MUST be made through the Caribbean Airlines Reservations Call Centre or at a Caribbean Airlines Ticket Office.

Customers booked on these affected flights, who prefer to apply for a refund on their tickets, may do so via the Caribbean Airlines Reservations Call Centre, a Caribbean Airlines Ticket Office or Travel Agents.

Any further updates on the Caracas operation will be available via www.caribbean-airlines.com and all social media platforms.

Thank you for your understanding and any inconvenience is regretted.

The post CAL suspends all flights between T&T, Venezuela with immediate effect appeared first on News Room Guyana.