David Hinds marches into Parliament

Sep 12, 2025 News

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…as WPA’s voice in APNU coalition

Kaieteur News – Co-leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Dr. David Hinds will be occupying the parliamentary seat representing his party in the APNU coalition.

Though an official announcement is yet to be made, sources close to the party told this publication that the decision was made on Thursday at a meeting. Contacted on the subject Dr. Hinds confirmed that he will be taking up the seat. He believes unlike the last election cycle his party has had a good relationship with the coalition under Aubrey Norton. He said his party was also a part of the planning of the campaign both at the decision making and also at the level of execution. “During the campaign was the first time that we really played a full role in the campaign. So, if that is something to go by, we expect that in Parliament we will have a more inclusive role, and so we have to wait and see coalition politics is very difficult, but given what we saw during the campaign, he expects that things are going to be much better, as we enter the National Assembly,” he said.

Dr. Hinds reminded that the last time they were in the coalition they were in government, this time they are in opposition, “so the dynamics are different. The leadership is different, as well as the circumstances. So one expects that the coalition would have learned from its previous mistakes, and that together, we can work together to restore some of the ground that was lost by the APNU during the campaign.”

He said WPA intends to use its seat to carry out the APNU’s agenda. ”So, we are walking on two feet, and that’s what you do when you are in a coalition, you carry out the coalition’s agenda, and you carry out your party’s agenda,” Dr. Hinds added. He went on to say that he will be the voice of resistance and reason, as well as a voice for the poor and powerless.

Kaieteur News reported on Thursday that with the APNU securing only 12 seats in the 13th Parliament, Norton has stepped aside and will not be returning to the National Assembly. Instead, the parliamentary team will likely be led by a new face, businessman, Dr. Terrence Campbell.

Sources within the APNU told Kaieteur News that those who will make up APNU’s parliamentary team in addition to Hinds and Campbell are: Juretha Fernandes, Ganesh Mahipaul, Linden Mayor, Sharma Solomon, Coretta McDonald, Nima Flue-Bess, Vinceroy Jordan and newcomers: Saiku Andrews, Attorney, Dexter Todd and Riaz Rupnarain and Sherod Duncan.

Historically dominant in key regions such as District Four (Demerara–Mahaica) and Region 10, APNU suffered historic defeats this election cycle. For the first time, PPP/C outperformed APNU in District Four, long considered the Coalition’s stronghold. Region 10, another traditional APNU stronghold, also showed significant vote losses. Overall, the PPP/C secured around 242,000 votes, WIN received over 109,000, and APNU ended with 77,988 votes.

Despite the loss, Norton remains defiant and has questioned the legitimacy of the 2025 elections. Over the weekend, he maintained that the elections were “far from free or fair,” citing a bloated voters’ list, the absence of biometric voter verification, and various irregularities. In a public statement, Norton said, “In spite of the manifest deficiencies in the electoral system, including a bloated voters’ list and the lack of biometrics, our party decided to participate in the elections held on September 1, 2025… These elections did not reflect the will of the people of Guyana.”

Norton acknowledged that APNU, and by extension the PNCR, the major party in the coalition, now finds itself in unfamiliar political territory, being neither the governing party nor the official opposition. However, he expressed confidence that the party will recover. “APNU, of which the PNC is a major party, has a wealth of experience in weathering political storms. We will come through this stronger and better,” he affirmed.

Drawing historical parallels, Norton referenced the PNC’s significant defeat in 1961 and the resilience shown by then-leader L.F.S. Burnham. Quoting Burnham’s rallying call, “Will you not watch with me for one hour?” Norton appealed to APNU supporters to stand firm in these trying times. “We are like the oak tree. We will re-emerge better and stronger,” he declared. As the party prepares for a reshaped role in parliament under new leadership, APNU’s direction now hinges on fresh faces like Campbell and others, while it seeks to rebuild its base.

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• APNU Coalition, David Hinds, Parliament, Working Peoples’ Alliance

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