– reaffirms commitment to serve all Guyanese
– to name new Cabinet, key appointments soon
Dr Irfaan Ali was on Sunday September 7, sworn in as the Ninth Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, after a landslide win at the General and Regional Elections, which was held September 1.
Dr Ali took his oath of office, which was administered by the Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Roxane George, at about 10:20h before a packed gathering on the lawns of State House in Georgetown, where his inauguration ceremony was held, and culminated with a grand cultural presentation and brunch at the Esplanade, Kingston Seawalls.
In his first Address to the Nation after being sworn in for his second term as President, Dr Ali reaffirmed his commitment to be a president who represents all Guyanese.
“As I first declared on August 2, 2020, I am not the President of some Guyanese, I am the President of all Guyana. That principle has guided me and the government for the last five years, 2020-2025, and it shall remain my compass in the years ahead. My mission is unchanged. It remains to serve every citizen of this land, irrespective of creed, community, or conviction, ensuring that every Guyanese has a place in our national family and a stake in our shared future,” he stated.
The President went on to assure persons who did not vote for him at the September 1 General and Regional Elections that he will still work to enhance their lives and communities.
“One Guyana is not a slogan — it is a lived ethic. Each of us are equal in dignity, equal in opportunity, and equal in respect. To those of us who did not support me, know this: I am your president too,” the newly re-elected Guyanese leader committed.
Unity and nation-building
With the elections now over, placing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) back into parliament with a stronger role, the Head of State underscored the importance of fostering national unity, and offered a hand in partnership for the future of the nation.
In it’s declaration of the 2025 elections results on Saturday evening, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) revealed that the PPP/C has secured 36 seats in the 65-member National Assembly. The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) gained 16 seats and has effectively oust the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) as the main parliamentary opposition after it only managed to earn 12 seats.
Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) copped the remaining one seat, while the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperty (ALP) did not gain any seats.
“I congratulate every party that has secured representation in our National Assembly. Now the time has come to embrace the higher call of nation-building. With elections behind us comes the responsibility to transform competition into cooperation, to build a partnership; the spirit of inclusion is not a passing sentiment but the foundation of my presidency.”
“Democracy is made richer by inclusion, and now the time has come to put aside the partisan banners and flags of campaign, the sheaths of campaign rhetoric, and to embrace the higher call of nation-building,” he noted.
According to the Head of State, such a mission is not and cannot be the work of one man, party or administration alone. He said it is through the collective work of a people bound together and united in vision and purpose, that progress can be achieved.
“Today, I recommit myself to that unity. I pledge to be a President for every community, every sector, and every Guyanese. The journey of the next five years will demand the best of all of us. It is only by standing as one people, united in purpose, that we can rise to meet the weight of this moment and the magnitude of what lies ahead. The next five years will be the most consequential in our nation. History has placed in our hands the resources, the leadership, the opportunities, the partnerships and the international goodwill to transform promise into reality. But this transformation will not happen by itself. We need everyone on board,” he asserted.
Tackling poverty
Among the most urgent priorities in the next five years would be a fight against poverty. The President said a “national crusade” would take place, not only against visible hardship, but against the structural burdens that prevent families from rising.
He further pledged to expand homeownership, strengthen financial inclusion, and ensure that every small entrepreneur has the support to start, grow, and thrive. Noting that community development will be central to his mission, the President outlined plans to install street lights, expand roads, improve sanitation, and beautify neighbourhoods.
Safety will be enhanced through decentralised policing and technology-driven solutions, while national security will be fortified with the most modern defence ecosystem in Guyana’s history.
Moreover, women, youth, and the elderly will see targeted support with health and education slated to also be transformed.
To confront the cost of living, the President pledged to halve electricity costs, keep water tariffs from increasing, and ensure that no new taxes are imposed. He also promised to intervene against unfair pricing, and to boost local food production, including poultry, fish, and vegetables, to ensure markets are filled with affordable, fresh, locally-produced food.
“Our vision is Guyana as the Rising Frontier—where oil fuels ambition, sugar and rice sustain, bauxite, gold, and diamonds anchor prosperity, and fertile lands feed a region; where vast forests and rivers prove that wealth and environmental stewardship can coexist; where a resilient people turn challenge into achievement; and where a small nation rises to shape the future of its region and the world,” the Head of State noted.
New Cabinet
But this vision, according to President Ali, will not materialise without a plan, adding that the PPP/C’s manifesto—together with a broader strategy for Guyana’s development beyond 2025, has set out the framework to turn ambition into reality.
To achieve these plans, however, the Guyanese leader recognised the need to fortify a team that will carry forward this mission.
“In the coming days, I shall announce my new Cabinet – men and women chosen for their competence, their character, and their fidelity to the people of Guyana. I will also announce a wide range of other key appointments across the public sector to ensure that the entire system is led by people committed to delivering effective service to the Guyanese people,” he asserted.
In fact, President Ali outlined the importance of building a highly efficient, service-oriented public service – one that places the citizen at the centre of every action.
He committed to dismantling the bottlenecks that frustrate citizens, cut away the red tape that slows delivery, and modernise the systems that too often stand in the way of progress.
“We will refashion a public service that delivers more online services, works for the people, responds with urgency, and executes with excellence. Because only then can the promise of development be fully realised,” he stated.
In the same breath, however, the Guyanese leader stressed that corruption undermines the efficiency, fairness, and credibility of public service, hence he detailed plans to strengthen anti-corruption efforts by establishing a dedicated Anti-Corruption Unit. The unit will be tasked with excising this cancer from institutions and holding public officials to the highest standards of integrity.
“Every official will be required to account for their personal assets, and anyone who cannot do so will face the full force of the law. We will pursue both the corrupted and the corrupters, leaving no room for impunity,” the Head of State cautioned.
He went on to note that the government does not have a system of lobbying, and any person representing themselves as lobbyists or peddling access to anyone in government is misrepresenting themselves and misleading others.
“A special mechanism will be set up to deal with such individuals,” he warned.
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