By: Javone Vickerie
Elections are, at their core, a national job interview. The candidates are the applicants. The manifestos, the rallies, and the speeches are résumés and cover letters. And tomorrow, the people of Guyana sit in the interviewer’s chair. They are the employers. They must decide who to hire to manage their country’s future.
Over the past weeks, and especially in last night’s closing rallies, Guyanese have heard every pitch. The governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has asked to be re-hired, pointing to infrastructure, housing, and economic expansion as proof of its record. Bridges, roads, oil-driven projects, and welfare initiatives have been presented as evidence that Guyana is moving forward. The government’s message is continuity: that experience matters, and that steady management of resources will keep growth on track.
But the current opposition and emerging political parties argue otherwise. They insist that while physical development is visible, ordinary people remain under strain. Across platforms, the themes have been similar: the high cost of living, the burden of blackouts and floods, the neglect of hinterland communities, and the perception that wealth is concentrated in too few hands. Many have promised targeted subsidies, investments in renewable energy, support for teachers and farmers, and reforms to end what they describe as corruption and patronage.
The established opposition has cast itself as a credible alternative, experienced enough to govern but with a new team and fresh promises. Smaller and newer parties have staked their campaigns on authenticity, on being closer to ordinary citizens, less tainted by history, and more willing to break with the politics of fear and division. In their telling, the emergence of new voices itself proves that Guyanese are hungry for something different.
The contrast has been sharp: one side arguing that progress is already being delivered, the other saying progress without fairness is hollow. The rallies last night reflected not just partisanship, but also a deeper yearning. From the promise of subsidies and relief to the call for justice, from the fiery rhetoric of change to the sober appeals for unity, the candidates’ final words spoke to a people impatient with business as usual, but cautious about where to place their trust.
Now, the task falls to voters. As employers in this national interview, they must sift through the claims and counterclaims, the promises and the warnings. They must look beyond slogans to ask hard questions: Who has the integrity to lead? Who can deliver not just bridges and roads, but fairness and dignity? Who will manage the nation’s oil wealth in the interest of all, not just a few?
Tomorrow’s election is about more than party symbols or political loyalties. It is about whether Guyana chooses continuity, change, or something altogether new. And the decision will shape not only the next five years but the next generation.
The interview is over. The résumés are in. Tomorrow, the people of Guyana must make their choice. Vote wisely. Vote independently. Vote not for who shouts the loudest, but for who has earned the right to manage this country’s future.
For too long, Guyanese have been told their vote belongs to one party or another, passed down like an inheritance. Tomorrow is the chance to reject that notion. The ballot is not a gift to politicians, it is a contract between citizens and leaders. Once signed, it cannot easily be undone.
That is why this election is not just another date on the calendar. It is a turning point. It is a chance to hire leaders who will see Guyana not as spoils to be divided, but as a home to be built together. And the responsibility for that choice lies in the hands of every voter who walks into a polling station.
