APNU Sunday night launched its campaign, seeking to win votes at the September 1 general elections by promising bigger pay packets and cash grants.
A wave of green formed in Georgetown for the launch of APNU’s campaign at the Square of the Revolution and Norton, the presidential candidate, did his signature slow bounce dance move to Busy Signal’s “Happy Birthday” – well, because it was his birthday.
And with that bounce, he stepped into defensive mode, addressing the dwindling top brass of the PNC, which has seen the exodus of popular members, such as Parliamentarians Amanza Walton-Desir, Jermaine Figueira, Natasha Singh-Lewis, and Geeta Chandan-Edmond.
“Those who believe that we are dead, they are mistaken… We are a strong political force,” Norton said.
With that rallying cry, Norton is pushing on to seek office.
Some of APNU’s candidates for the 2025 elections (Photo: News Room/ Shaconeil Burnette/ July 6, 2025)
APNU is essentially the PNC party led by Aubrey Norton, though it boasts of being a Coalition by virtue of being propped up by several small parties which themselves do not have any decent number of followers to win garner any seats in the 65-seat National Assembly. The party with a majority of seats wins the seat of government.
So, what are the big promises from APNU to be elected to government?
• A 35% salary increase for government workers
• An increased income tax threshold, moving it to $400,000
• Giving a monthly $50,000 stipend to each student pursuing post-secondary studies
• An increase in the old-age pension to $100,000
• A cash grant to every child of $120,000 annually
And as if on cue for criticisms that those promises sound too good to be true, an animated Ganesh Mahipaul, a sure lead candidate for APNU, defended these plans, saying Guyana is earning enough money from oil production to cover the big money promises.
“All of these are possible because we have more [oil production vessels] coming on stream..,” Mahipaul told the crowd.
Some of APNU’s candidates for the 2025 elections (Photo: News Room/ Shaconeil Burnette/ July 6, 2025)
Prime Ministerial Candidate Juretha Fernandes also boasted that APNU would build new highways connecting the coast and hinterland and create “thousands of jobs” by granting small contracts for road and housing development to small contractors. She said too APNU would revamp the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme so that graduates can be more job-ready.
Lawyer Ronald Daniels, gospel singer Saiku Andrews, and youth leader Eden Corbin are among the new faces in the party.
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