Two Caribbean Nations Head To The Polls In September Amid Heated Campaigns

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Aug. 15, 2025: Two CARICOM nations are in the thick of election fever, with voters in Guyana and Jamaica set to choose new governments next month. Guyana heads to the polls on September 1, 2025, followed by Jamaica on September 3, 2025.

In Jamaica, the campaign trail has been rocked by controversy. The ruling Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) campaign chairman, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has been given a deadline to retract a recording of retired opposition legislator K.D. Knight that was played at a mass JLP rally on Sunday.

FLASHBACK – A polling station in Tivoli Gardens, in West Kingston on December 29, 2011. (Photo credit – Ratiba HAMZAOUI/AFP via Getty Images)

In the clip, Knight appeared to express no confidence in People’s National Party (PNP) leader Mark Golding — but Knight’s legal team claims the recording was manipulated. The law firm Knight, Junior & Samuels has demanded a public retraction and apology by 11:00 a.m. Friday, to be published across all media and JLP social platforms. The firm warned that a retraction would not prevent legal action, though it could help reduce reputational damage.

Meanwhile, in a political twist, the Jamaica First Movement (JFM) — led by clergyman Rev. Al Miller — has joined forces with the Jamaica Progressive Party (JPP) to form a united front in the election. JPP President Gilbert Edwards hailed the merger as “historic” and “a necessary act of national service,” pledging unity, purpose, and people-centered politics. The main contest still pits the JLP against the PNP, with the new alliance aiming to shake up the political landscape.

The vote in Jamaica comes on the heels of a 2024 Integrity Commission (IC) report that found insufficient evidence to charge Prime Minister Andrew Holness, over the alleged non-disclosure of four joint bank accounts.

The IC’s probe, covering 2018–2023, examined 3,600 transactions, 28 accounts, and over 80 witness statements. Holness says the accounts in question were dormant, with minimal balances, and in some cases opened by his parents decades ago.

Holness rejected findings of a J$1.9M unexplained increase in his net worth in 2022, citing calculation errors, and denied hindering the investigation. Holness also criticized the IC law, calling for urgent reforms to prevent politicization and ensure focus on “relevant, significant and material issues.”

GUYANA

In Guyana, the newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, led by US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, is making waves. The ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has alleged that Mohamed sought a Venezuelan visa and visited the Venezuelan embassy — claims he strongly denies.

“Produce the evidence! I have never visited the Venezuelan Embassy, nor applied for a visa to Venezuela,” Mohamed slammed back, calling the accusations “baseless, malicious, and politically motivated.” He accused the PPP/C of using the allegations to distract from alleged corruption exposed on social media.

The Guyanese government confirmed it had summoned Venezuela’s Ambassador Carlos Amador Perez Silva over what it described as “frequent visits” to the embassy by members of the Mohamed family.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has approved six political parties for the September 1 vote:

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)

Alliance for Change (AFC)

Assembly of Liberty and Prosperity (ALP)

Forward Guyana Movement (FGM)

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)

We Invest in Nationhood (WIN)

With just weeks to go, both Jamaica and Guyana are seeing intensified campaigning, legal battles, and new alliances — setting the stage for two high-stakes elections that could reshape the political direction of each nation.