Global Elections Updates: Guyana, Jamaica, & Norway

Guyana

Overview

On September 1, Guyana held general elections to fill 65 electable seats within the National Assembly, Guyana’s unicameral legislative body, and elect a new President for a five-year term. Incumbent President Mohamed Irfaan Ali won re-election with 55% of the vote, and his PPP/C party (People’s Progressive Party/Civic) achieved a majority with 36 seats in the National Assembly. Opposition candidates Azruddin Mohamed from We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and Aubrey Norton from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) won 24% and 17% of the vote.

Despite reports of irregularities by international observers, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) announced the official results on September 6^th, and President Irfaan Ali was sworn in for a second term in office. Guyana is a parliamentary republic in which the president serves as both the head of state and the head of government. The president appoints a Prime Minister who serves as the chief of cabinet. Guyana adheres to a mixed-member proportional representation system.

Outlook

President Ali appointed a new cabinet based on experience and diversity, amid criticism of cronyism aimed at his prior administration. The new government’s key challenge is leveraging oil wealth for economic and social development. During his campaign, President Ali promised a fair distribution of oil revenues to reduce inequalities and expand social programs, together with an ambitious agenda aimed at diversifying Guyana’s economy and reducing its reliance on oil and gas revenues. Guyana’s next election will be in 2030 to renew both the Presidency and the National Assembly. 

Jamaica

Overview

Jamaica held general elections on September 3, with the incumbent Prime Minister Andrew Holness securing a third term in office for the period 2025-2030. Although the ruling Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) lost 14 seats in the House of Representatives, it retained its majority with 35 seats. Despite a low turnout of 39%, the election was highly competitive, with the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) winning 49% of the vote, compared to 50.47% for the JLP, and doubling its representation to 28 of the 63 seats in Parliament. Mark Golding, leader of the PNP, conceded defeat, reducing tensions after a campaign marked by mutual accusations of corruption. Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, with King Charles III of the United Kingdom serving as head of state. The Prime Minister serves as head of government and is appointed by the majority party in the House of Representatives.

Outlook

Prime Minister Holness must address the concerns of citizens regarding corruption and inequality. In his previous administration, he significantly reduced violent crime and unemployment, while cutting the public debt by half. Now, he has pledged to double the minimum wage and cut income tax rates. The next general election in Jamaica is scheduled for September 2030.

Norway

Overview

Norway held parliamentary elections on September 8^th to elect 169 members of parliament (referred to as stortingrepresentat), within the Storting, Norway’s unicameral parliament. Norway is a constitutional monarchy, with legislative power being vested in the government and parliament, and the Monarch serving as the symbolic head of state. The governing Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, secured 53 seats, short of the 85 seats needed for a simple majority and setting the stage to lead the formation of a new governing coalition. Labor Party’s gains are contrasted by a significant decline in support for Norway’s center-right Conservative Party, Høyre, and the rise of the far-right Progress Party, led by Sylvi Listhaug, which significantly increased its share of seats from 21 to 47. Norway maintains proportional representation under its electoral system.

Outlook

Having won by a small margin, the Labor Party will have to contend with a new political landscape in which centrist political parties no longer dominate. The Progress Party’s relegation of the centrist Conservative Party to a minority party will lead to greater unpredictability for the Labor Party, which will now depend on the formation of a broader coalition that includes traditional coalition partners such as the Socialist Left and Centre parties, who both lost seats, as well as nontraditional parties like the Green Party and the Communist Red Party.

These combined factors present an altered political landscape in which the Labor Party will govern, amid key issues raised during the election, including rising costs, the future of Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund revenue and its investments, and growing geopolitical uncertainty as the U.S. has retreated from its historic role as a guarantor of European security. Norway is scheduled to hold local elections in 2027 and parliamentary elections again by the end of 2029.