WHAT’S WIN?

Oct 01, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Recent political developments in Guyana following the results of the Sept 1 election have ushered in what promises to bring significant shifts in the country’s governance arrangements. I suspect that ahead of us are many uncertainties.

Of the six political parties that contested the September 1st GRE, all are committed to the capitalist path of socio-economic development, none was of the radical left, left of center nor was any of them labour or socialist-oriented. Basically, they are all social or liberal democratic parties committed to a market economy. The PPP for its part, declared that it is a ‘working class party whose objective is to create a fair and equitable society.’ The mission of all the parties it seems, is limited to carrying out social and economic transformations/reforms to improve the livelihoods of Guyanese while leaving everything else to be regulated by the market without any fundamental structural nor systemic changes.

As for WIN, ideologically, it can be considered a right-wing populist party. In a Guyanese context, its politics can be considered as unorthodox and non-traditionalist.

WIN’s electoral success has some similarities to those of right-wing populist parties as with the ‘Brothers of Italy’ in Italy; the ‘Alternative for Germany’ in Germany; the National Rally’ in France; the MAGA movement in the Republican Party, USA; ‘Liberty Advances’ in Argentina; the ‘Liberal Party’ in Brazil; the ‘New Ideas’ party in El Salvador; the ‘Reform UK’ party in Great Britain; the ‘Freedom Plus Front’ in South Africa; the ‘People’s Power’ in Georgia.

The overseas influence of these parties should neither be over nor underestimated. They appear to have far-reaching influence across borders and networking capacities in countries around the world. Their ideological influence in Guyana, may have been underestimated misunderstood or misinterpreted.

WIN played a significant role in fracturing the opposition parties, its goal was to either capture or cripple parliament. To do so, it required a sweeping victory, but while the

PPP/C has torpedoed that goal other low hanging fruits have emerged.

Having succeeded in securing a foothold in parliament, WIN’s role may turn out to be pragmatic and nationalistic. On the one hand, it may seek alliances with other opposition parties in parliament on specific domestic issues, while on the other, it may extend critical support to government on domestic and national security matters. At the same time, it may try to frustrate government’s legislative agenda, and make every new legislation contestable.

Some have speculated that the electoral victories won by right-wing populist parties in various countries were mirrored by WIN’s meteoric rise to parliamentary majority deemed ‘electoral upsets or surprises’ never seen before in the USA, Europe, South America and Guyana. Truth be told; ‘it is, what it is’ meaning, the losers, rather than being at peace with their electoral misfortune or existential threats have opted to engage in self-flagellation.

A belief held in some quarters is that support for right-wing populist parties worldwide is built on an international network that unites them with common values, aims and objectives. WIN seems to be hooked into that network.

A primary factor in the right-wing populist’s electoral success is a deficit in mainstream political parties’ ability to find effective responses to festering economic and financial challenges at the grassroots level.

Many have sought to explain the meteoric growth of WIN as a political force in Guyana and its electoral achievement in different ways; the point however, is that a close examination of WIN’s ideology and its electoral politics show that it is a homegrown manifestation of populist right-wing politics, though it appears to have undergone some modifications based on Guyanese realities.

People who voted WIN must have been upset over the economic hardships they were facing were ignored. They were looking for a party that can nourish their imaginations and whose political action rested on mobilization and organization at the national and regional levels, that would make their dreams come true.

As the populist trend prevails, right-wing populist parties, in alliance with like-minded politicos can evolve as they have in some countries, moving from a major populist opposition party to a governing party.

Populist parties have at times made important contributions to advance democracy and building multi-racial unity, but as experience has shown, they can become anti-democratic, divisive and hard-wired towards national development. That notwithstanding, the ball appears to be on two rather than one court. The new parliament is pregnant with win-win opportunities.

Yours faithfully,

Clement J. Rohee

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• Clement J. Rohee, PPP, We Invest in Nationhood, WIN’s role

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