GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Outspoken talk-show host and former opposition firebrand Chandranarine “C.N.” Sharma has formally thrown his support behind President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as Guyana heads into general elections on September 1, 2025. Sharma – long known as one of the PPP/C’s harshest public critics – announced his endorsement in a statement on Tuesday, marking a striking political about-face. He and his wife, Savitree Sharma, who is also an activist, declared their confidence in Ali’s leadership and urged fellow Guyanese to unite behind the incumbent government for a second term in office.

Sharma, the founder of the Justice For All Party (JFAP) and a veteran TV personality, had built a reputation for aggressively challenging the PPP/C in the past. Through his popular television program “Voice of the People,” he routinely lambasted previous PPP/C administrations over issues of corruption, inequality, and poor governance. However, after stepping back from public life in recent years, Sharma says he has seen a change in the ruling party. “I see change within the party. Irfaan Ali shows he cares for all the Guyanese people – of all races, equally. Well done, Irfaan!” Sharma said in his statement, signaling that the current administration’s approach has won him over. He added that “Guyana is progressing with a bright future for all the people of this country,” crediting President Ali’s tenure for fostering an inclusive atmosphere of growth.

This endorsement is particularly noteworthy given Sharma’s history. In his heyday, he was one of the PPP/C’s most relentless watchdogs, often using his TV platform to amplify grassroots frustrations with the government. “I was once a loud voice against the government – I have no apologies for keeping them in line,” Sharma acknowledged in Tuesday’s announcement. But he urged that “unity and support is necessary for progress to continue for the good of all Guyanese.” These remarks underscore a dramatic shift from critic to collaborator. Sharma’s break with the opposition camp actually began in the aftermath of Guyana’s contentious 2020 elections: his JFAP party, which had been a minor partner in the then-ruling APNU+AFC coalition, accepted the results of a national recount and publicly demanded that Irfaan Ali be sworn in as President. At that time, Sharma’s stance helped legitimize the PPP/C’s victory, and now, as the 2025 campaign heats up, he has gone a step further by actively endorsing Ali for another term.

The timing of Sharma’s endorsement comes as the PPP/C is ramping up its re-election campaign and projecting confidence in its record. Over the weekend, the ruling party staged a massive rally at Albion Estate in Berbice, which saw thousands of supporters outfitted in the PPP’s signature red flooding the venue. Addressing the crowd, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh declared that the PPP/C is at its strongest point “ever” – a strength he attributed to the government delivering on its promises over the past five years. According to Singh, tangible improvements across the country have bolstered public faith in the administration. Party General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, speaking at the same event, noted that the PPP/C secured about 40,000 votes from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) in the last general election, and set an ambitious target of 55,000 votes in that region this year. He urged supporters to mobilize friends and neighbors to “go out and vote on September 1” in order to achieve a resounding victory. The leadership’s call for an increased turnout – and the enthusiastic response at rallies – suggest a high level of energy within the PPP/C base as election day approaches.

Sharma’s backing of the ruling party also appears to reflect a broader trend of former opponents warming to the PPP/C’s performance in government. Even some onetime members of the rival APNU+AFC coalition have publicly praised the Ali administration’s track record lately. For example, Reynard Ward, a former parliamentarian from the opposition Alliance For Change (AFC), announced this week that he too is now supporting the PPP/C. Ward, who served in the National Assembly from 2015 to 2020 under the previous APNU+AFC government, told a Tuesday political meeting that the coalition had “promised everything” to the people but ultimately “betrayed” citizens by failing to deliver on those promises. In contrast, he said, President Ali and the PPP/C “have done tremendous work” over the last five years, resulting in visible progress in communities. “The choice is clear… 90 percent of Guyanese will make [the same choice] come elections day,” Ward asserted, citing the PPP/C’s development record as the reason so many voters, in his view, are leaning toward the incumbents.

Ward pointed to concrete improvements along the East Bank of Berbice as evidence of the government’s impact. He noted that roads have been rehabilitated and infrastructure upgraded, and he highlighted major investments in agriculture by the PPP/C administration, including the clearing of thousands of acres of farmland and the distribution of flood relief and cash grants to farmers “across the board” regardless of political affiliation. Under the previous coalition government, Ward recalled, such support was often lacking – mentioning that pleas for agricultural assistance had fallen on deaf ears before 2020. In his view, the PPP/C has governed for all citizens, not just its own supporters, and this inclusive approach has resonated with the public. Ward’s public remarks echo the sentiment expressed by Sharma and others that the current administration is addressing longtime needs and bridging ethnic and political divides in Guyana.

With just over a month until Guyanese voters cast their ballots, President Ali’s PPP/C is heading into the final stretch of the campaign buoyed by these unlikely endorsements and a narrative of national progress. The general and regional elections are set for September 1, 2025, and the opposition – fragmented and facing defections – is struggling to counter the momentum the ruling party claims. Sharma’s endorsement, coming from a figure who once vigorously opposed the PPP/C, is being seen as a symbolic victory for the incumbents. It reinforces the ruling party’s message that its development agenda is winning broad approval. Political observers note that such realignments reflect a changing landscape in Guyana, where themes of economic growth, inclusive governance, and unity are increasingly front and center. As the campaign unfolds, the PPP/C is touting its first-term achievements and welcoming support from across the aisle, hoping to secure a strong mandate for what it bills as continued stability and “one Guyana” unity in the years ahead.