2011 Guyanese general election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox election
| country = Guyana
| type = parliamentary
| previous_election = 2006 Guyanese general election
| previous_year = 2006
| next_election = 2015 Guyanese general election
| next_year = 2015
| seats_for_election = All 65 seats in the National Assembly
| majority_seats = 33
| election_date = 28 November 2011
| image_size = 130x130px
| turnout =
| image1 = Donald Ramotar.png
| candidate1 = Donald Ramotar
| party1 = People's Progressive Party/Civic
| last_election1 = 54.67%, 36 seats
| seats1 = 32
| seat_change1 = {{decrease}}4
| popular_vote1 = 166,340
| percentage1 = 48.60%
| swing1 = {{decrease}}6.07pp
| image2 = David Arthur Granger (21605566518) (cropped).jpg
| candidate2 = David A. Granger
| colour2 = 24BB04
| party2 = APNU
| last_election2 = {{nowrap|34.07%, 22 seats}}
(PNCR only)
| seats2 = 26
| seat_change2 = {{increase}}3
| popular_vote2 = 139,678
| percentage2 = 40.81%
| swing2 = {{increase}}6.74pp
| image3 = Khemraj Ramjattan (cropped).jpg
| candidate3 = {{nowrap|Khemraj Ramjattan}}
| colour3 = FFA500
| party3 = AFC
| last_election3 = 8.43%, 5 seats
| seats3 = 7
| seat_change3 = {{increase}}2
| popular_vote3 = 35,333
| percentage3 = 10.32%
| swing3 = {{increase}}1.89pp
| title = President
| posttitle = Elected President
| before_election = Bharrat Jagdeo
| before_party = PPP/C
| after_election = Donald Ramotar
| after_party = PPP/C
}}{{Politics of Guyana}}
General elections were held in Guyana on 28 November 2011.{{cite web | url=http://www.demerarawaves.com/index.php/Latest/2011/07/13/opposition-parties-warn-gecom-about-pitfalls-of-re-opening-registration.html |title=Opposition parties warn GECOM about pitfalls of re-opening registration | date=13 July 2011 | work=Demerara Waves | accessdate=3 August 2011}} The result was a victory for the People's Progressive Party/Civic, which won 32 of the 65 seats.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15980149 Guyana governing party's Donald Ramotar wins election] BBC News, 1 December 2011 Thus even though the combined parliamentary opposition, consisting of the A Partnership for National Unity coalition (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), managed to secure an absolute majority of 33 seats, as they had not run as a single list it was Donald Ramotar of the PPP/C (the largest single party) who assumed the presidency, and not David A. Granger of the PNCR (which heads the opposition).
Electoral system
The 65 members of the National Assembly were elected by closed list proportional representation in two groups; 25 members were elected from the 10 electoral districts based on the regions, and 40 elected from a single nationwide constituency.[http://caribbeanelections.com/eDocs/election_reports/gy/GY_COG_2011.pdf Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group - GUYANA NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ELECTIONS, 28 November 2011] Seats were allocated using the Hare quota.
The President was elected by a first-past-the-post double simultaneous vote system, whereby each list nominated a presidential candidate and the presidential election itself was won by the candidate of the list having a plurality.
Presidential candidates
The ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic nominated Donald Ramotar, the party's general secretary and advisor to outgoing President Bharrat Jagdeo. A Partnership for National Unity (an alliance of the People's National Congress Reform, the Guyana Action Party and the Working People's Alliance)[http://www.apnuguyana.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=184&Itemid=26 About APNU] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128142151/http://www.apnuguyana.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=184&Itemid=26 |date=2011-11-28 }} APNU nominated David A. Granger, a former commander of the Guyana Defence Force. The Alliance for Change did not join the APNU, and opted to run alone, fielding party leader Khemraj Ramjattan as its presidential candidate. The United Force nominated Peter Persaud as its presidential candidates following a leadership dispute.
Police protection
Election day was declared a national holiday and troops patrolled the streets in order to prevent violence as had happened in previous elections.
Results
{{Election results
|candtitle=Presidential
candidate
|dsv=yes
|seattype1=Constituency|seattype2=Top-up|seattype3=Total|seattype4=+/–
|party1=People's Progressive Party/Civic|cand1=Donald Ramotar|votes1=166340|st1t1=13|st2t1=19|st3t1=32|st4t1=–4
|party2=A Partnership for National Unity|cand2=David Granger|votes2=139678|st1t2=10|st2t2=16|st3t2=26|st4t2=+3
|party3=Alliance for Change|cand3=Khemraj Ramjattan|votes3=35333|st1t3=2|st2t3=5|st3t3=7|st4t3=+2
|party4=The United Force|cand4=Peter Persaud|votes4=885|st1t4=0|st2t4=0|st3t4=0|st4t4=–1
|invalid=4481
|total_st4t=0
|electorate=475496
|source=[https://gecom.org.gy/assets/docs/results/2011%20-%20General%20and%20Regional%20Elections/GAZETTED_RESULTS_OF_THE_2011_GENERAL_&_REGIONAL_ELECTIONS.pdf GECOM], [http://caribbeanelections.com/eDocs/election_reports/gy/GY_COG_2011.pdf Commonwealth Observer Group]
}}
=By region=
| class="wikitable sortable" style=text-align:right
!rowspan=2|Region !colspan=3|APNU !colspan=3|PPP/C !colspan=3|AFC !colspan=2|TUF !rowspan=2|Hare !rowspan=2|Total !rowspan=2|Total | ||||||||||||||
| Votes
!% !Seats !Votes !% !Seats !Votes !% !Seats !Votes !% | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left|Barima-Waini | 887 | 17.06 | 1 | 3,472 | 66.77 | 1 | 786 | 15.12 | 0 | 55 | 1.06 | 2,600 | 5,200 | 2 |
| align=left|Pomeroon-Supenaam | 3,287 | 18.28 | 0 | 12,555 | 69.83 | 2 | 2,086 | 11.60 | 0 | 51 | 0.28 | 8,990 | 17,979 | 2 |
| align=left|Essequibo Islands-West Demerara | 14,028 | 27.58 | 1 | 33,424 | 65.71 | 2 | 3,343 | 6.57 | 0 | 70 | 0.14 | 16,955 | 50,865 | 3 |
| align=left|Demerara-Mahaica | 84,828 | 54.20 | 4 | 60,851 | 38.88 | 3 | 10,635 | 6.79 | 0 | 201 | 0.13 | 22,359 | 156,515 | 7 |
| align=left|Mahaica-Berbice | 8,906 | 34.83 | 1 | 13,558 | 53.02 | 1 | 3,079 | 12.04 | 0 | 29 | 0.11 | 12,786 | 25,572 | 2 |
| align=left|East Berbice-Corentyne | 10,798 | 19.68 | 0 | 32,360 | 58.97 | 2 | 11,634 | 21.20 | 1 | 83 | 0.15 | 18,292 | 54,875 | 3 |
| align=left|Cuyuni-Mazaruni | 2,843 | 48.95 | 1 | 2,376 | 40.91 | 1 | 505 | 8.69 | 0 | 84 | 1.45 | 2,904 | 5,808 | 2 |
| align=left|Potaro-Siparuni | 739 | 28.75 | 0 | 741 | 28.83 | 0 | 995 | 38.72 | 1 | 95 | 3.70 | 2,570 | 2,570 | 1 |
| align=left|Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo | 2,004 | 27.57 | 0 | 4,135 | 56.89 | 1 | 946 | 13.02 | 0 | 183 | 2.52 | 7,268 | 7,268 | 1 |
| align=left|Upper Demerara-Berbice | 11,358 | 72.88 | 2 | 2,868 | 18.40 | 0 | 1,324 | 8.50 | 0 | 34 | 0.22 | 7,792 | 15,584 | 2 |
| align=left|National Assembly top up | 139,678 | 40.81 | 16 | 166,340 | 48.60 | 19 | 35,333 | 10.32 | 5 | 885 | 0.26 | 5,265 | 342,236 | 65 |
| class=sortbottom
|align=left colspan=20|Source: [https://www.gecom.org.gy/assets/docs/results/2011%20-%20General%20and%20Regional%20Elections/GAZETTED_RESULTS_OF_THE_2011_GENERAL_&_REGIONAL_ELECTIONS.pdf GECOM] [https://web.archive.org/web/20200609224257/https://www.gecom.org.gy/assets/docs/laws/Local_Authorities_Elections_ACT_NO_15_OF_2000.pdf Guyana Election Law] |
Aftermath
The PPP/C won for the fifth straight time, but with a minority government. PPP/C candidate Donald Ramotar was elected President, but the opposition parties won a majority in the National Assembly.