Guyana’s president, Irfaan Ali, has declared victory in national elections after his party won more than 240,000 votes and seven of the country’s ten electoral districts.

He said the results were clear and gave him a strong mandate to continue leading.

Ali now faces the challenge of turning Guyana’s oil wealth into better living conditions.

Since ExxonMobil began offshore production in 2019, the country has earned $7.5bn in oil revenues. This has boosted the economy, but poverty still affects 58% of the population. Ali’s government has spent oil money on infrastructure and free university education, but critics say spending is uneven and benefits his allies.

A surprise in the election was the rise of the new Win party, led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed. With more than 109,000 votes, it has overtaken the long-established opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). Win could now become the main opposition party, despite controversy over U.S. sanctions against Mohamed and his family.

Observers praised the peaceful vote but warned of long-standing problems with voter lists and election transparency.

The outcome also plays against the backdrop of Guyana’s tense territorial dispute with Venezuela, which claims the oil-rich region that makes up two-thirds of Guyana’s land.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian.