Norton sees slim pathway to victory

Sep 03, 2025 News

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…Mohamed awaits GECOM’s declaration

…Hughes confirms AFC out of Parliament

…Amanza optimistic of gaining a seat

…Broomes swept out of House

Kaieteur News – With the tabulation of votes cast at Monday’s general and regional elections presidential candidate of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Aubrey Norton said he remains hopeful that his party’s will secure a victory at the elections.

In an address posted on the party’s official Facebook page, Norton stated that the party had fought a good fight despite low voter turnout. He said, “To all members and supporters of A Partnership for National Unity, as presidential candidate, I want to say thank you for supporting the APNU. I believe we fought a good fight. I believe that our supporters didn’t turn out in the way we expected, but in the circumstance, I think we have done well.”

Despite suffering significant losses in the party’s traditional stronghold of Region 10, Norton remains hopeful. He pointed to gains in other areas, noting, “We are tabulating. Our Statements of Poll should be ready shortly. We do see a path to victory once we can maintain the present trend in Region 4, though we suffered losses in Region 10. I should also point out that we have improved on the East Coast, in Georgetown, and in the Corentyne.”

Reaffirming his confidence, Norton urged supporters to be patient and avoid misinformation. “We ask you not to be carried away by rumors and false statements of polls. Let us wait on the official declaration. We will stay on top of it to ensure that there are no irregularities. Once again, thank you. We appreciate your loyalty, and we will analyze the situation and strategize on how we move forward.”

In a separate interview with News Source, Norton reiterated his belief in a possible win. “What we are seeing is that by the time we finish, if we win Region 4, if we continue on this trajectory, we will win,” he said. However, he admitted that any slowdown in the trend could apply pressure to APNU’s chances.

Commenting on the results from Linden, traditionally a strong APNU base, Norton lamented that the region might flip due to external influence, including what he claimed was the use of money to sway voters. “Unfortunately, in these elections, a lot of money played its role. I think Linden might have been the victim of the money that was circulated. But such a thing is short-lived.”

Norton also acknowledged a decrease in voter turnout compared to the 2015 and 2020 elections, attributing it to political fatigue and disappointment over the absence of a coalition between the APNU and Alliance For Change. “The low voter turnout is an indication that people are becoming tired of the political system. We need to sit down, rework it, and come again,” he said. He further explained, “A lot of people were hoping for a coalition. When we didn’t get one, some felt we couldn’t win without it. Guyanese were looking forward to a coalition between the APNU and the AFC, and the lack of that moral boost led to some apathy, especially in traditional coalition areas.”

Meanwhile, Alliance For Change (AFC) presidential candidate Nigel Hughes, speaking with Kaieteur News on Tuesday, confirmed that the preliminary SOP results do not appear favourable for his party. However, he stressed that the tabulation process remains incomplete, making it too early to make any definitive projections.

“The tabulation process has not been completed. If you are asking me to make a projection on where we stand, I am unable to do that. But it doesn’t look particularly favourable for the Alliance For Change,” Hughes said.

He also raised concerns about reports amid widespread speculation on social media claiming a Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) win, despite the incomplete tabulation in Region 4.

“From what I understand, tabulation is not yet finished in Region 4, and yet I’m hearing talk of swearing in a new president. I’m not sure how that can happen if the process is not complete. Our representatives indicated that less than half of the boxes have been counted. What we want is accuracy and the results, and this should mean that the tabulation process has to be completed before they can make a declaration,” he said.

Additionally, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party issued a statement urging citizens to wait for GECOM’s official declaration. Posting on Facebook, WIN clarified that only the GECOM holds the constitutional authority to declare elections results.

“We are aware of claims being circulated by PPP-aligned outlets declaring an election victory for Irfaan Ali. Let us be clear: this is premature and misleading. The vote count is still ongoing. Only GECOM has the constitutional authority to declare results,” the party said.

WIN further warned that spreading misinformation could create confusion. “Spreading fake news at this sensitive time undermines democracy and risks creating confusion. We call on all citizens and media to act responsibly and await the official declaration. Until GECOM speaks, no one has won. Let’s protect our democracy by standing for truth, patience, and due process.”

Meanwhile, Amanza Walton-Desir, presidential candidate of the newly formed Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), expressed optimism about her party’s prospects of gaining a seat in Parliament. Speaking with Kaieteur News, Walton-Desir praised her party’s rise and the support received during the election period.

“We remain optimistic, but we are incredibly proud of what we have been able to do in six weeks in terms of campaigning and contesting the general elections,” she said. “We outperformed in a manner that some critics didn’t expect us to perform. So, we are just optimistic, we are grateful.”

While FGM has not released any formal projections, Walton-Desir confirmed that the party continues to monitor the tabulation process. “Though we didn’t have field agents in all of the stations, we are still in the process of following the tallying of the SOPs published by GECOM,” she stated.

Efforts to contact the leader of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) Simona Broomes proved futile on Tuesday.

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• Amanza Walton-Desir, Aubrey Norton, FGM, Nigel Hughes

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