By Kemol King

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Guyanese voters

will head to the polls on Monday to choose members of parliament

and a president who will determine how riches from the South

American country's hydrocarbon boom will be spent.

The country of 800,000 people has earned some $7.5 billion

in revenue from oil sales and royalties since ExxonMobil ( XOM ) started

pumping offshore oil in late 2019, making Guyana one of the

world's fastest-growing economies.

President Irfaan Ali, in office since 2020, is seeking

re-election at the helm of the People's Progressive Party (PPP).

His government has funneled oil revenues into building roads,

schools and hospitals and made study at the state university

free.

"The PPP has been investing in education and skills

throughout Guyana," said Tanya Mohabir, a 30-year-old

meteorologist, citing 20,000 scholarships for online degrees and

certificates funded by the government.

But opposition groups have said oil earnings

disproportionately favor well-connected groups in a country

where political loyalties have long been split largely along

ethnic lines, between Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese

communities. The PPP denies the allegation.

Three of the five parties challenging the PPP have also

pledged to renegotiate the country's contract with Exxon.

Some hope to leverage Monday's vote to deny Ali's party a

majority in parliament, which it currently controls by a single

seat, and force it to seek opposition support for its

legislation.

Adding uncertainty to the race is the new We Invest in

Nationhood (WIN) party, led by popular businessman Azruddin

Mohamed, who was sanctioned by the U.S. last year over

allegations that he and his father Nazar Mohamed defrauded the

Guyanese government of tax revenue and bribed public officials.

They deny any wrongdoing.

The younger Mohamed's party has published a manifesto

calling for fairer access to housing and opportunities for

everyone, not a privileged few. He has attracted grassroots

support, particularly among voters seeking an alternative to

establishment parties.

"One of my expectations is for WIN to improve the justice

system, the health facilities, and human services," said WIN

supporter Carlton Hazelwood, 27. He added that welfare programs

run by the government are not reaching people who need them.

Voting at some 2,800 polling places will begin at 6 a.m.

(noon GMT) and close at 6 p.m.

Guyana's 2020 election was marred by a five-month standoff

over vote counting. This time, the elections commission plans to

deliver results by Wednesday.