The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has signalled its readiness to contest the upcoming general elections, either as part of a broader coalition or independently, depending on the outcomes of ongoing political negotiations.
This announcement came during a press briefing held by the party on Monday. The party confirmed that it has already begun drafting its manifesto, which will focus heavily on equitable governance and resource management in Guyana’s oil-driven economy.
Among its key priorities are the fair distribution of oil revenues, cash transfer programmes to support vulnerable populations, universal access to education and healthcare, and comprehensive constitutional reform.
“Our platform would centre on the following planks: equitable distribution of revenues garnered from oil resources; empowerment of the poor and powerless through poverty alleviation measures such as statutory cash transfers,” the party said.
Economic diversification is also high on the party’s agenda. The WPA intends to advocate for a reduced dependency on oil and gas by promoting alternative industries and revisiting all agreements and legal instruments governing the extractive sector.
On the issue of coalition-building, it was disclosed that discussions between the WPA and the People’s National Congress (PNC)/A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had been paused, pending the outcome of negotiations between APNU and the Alliance for Change (AFC).
Now that those talks have not yielded a formal alliance, the WPA plans to resume its own coalition discussions.
“The WPA intends to place a common policy platform and a united electoral strategy at the forefront of coalition talks,” the party stated, noting that its approach would be anchored in principles of “fraternalism, independence, and realism.”
Regarding leadership and seat allocation within any potential coalition, the WPA plans to uphold the precedent set during the 2011, 2015, and 2020 elections.
This means that the party with the broadest electoral appeal will take the presidential candidacy and a proportional share of the candidate list, parliamentary seats, and cabinet positions, should the coalition secure victory.
The WPA said it would not interfere with the selection of candidates for the other parties. However, the WPA noted that it reserves the right to name its own representatives for the positions allocated.
