Based on engagements with voters by pollster Dr Vishnu Bisram and interviewers for an unaligned, non-commissioned survey conducted by NACTA, the following nominees — Irfaan Ali, Aubrey Norton, Azruddin Mohamed, Nigel Hughes, Amanza Walton-Desir, and Mark France — are the front runners for Presidential nomination of their respective parties – PPP/C, APNU, WIN, Alliance for Change, Forward Guyana, and ANUG respectively. Several other minor parties have also expressed an interest to contest the elections, but the public is not familiar with them and as such have not expressed a preference on Presidential nominee. The minor parties are struggling to meet the requirements to get on the ballot.
Irfaan Ali and Norton have remained the most preferred nominee for their respective party within their traditional base; there are no known presumptive challengers for nomination in the two major parties. Ali has name recognition among every voter. Among the new and minor parties, only Azruddin’s WIN has attracted voters’ attention, capturing voter’s imagination and posing a serious challenge to both major parties. But incumbent Ali has consistently maintained a lead among all presumed nominees for President in surveys conducted over the last couple years.
