ON December 18, 1947 at age 29, Dr. Jagan took his seat in the Legislative Council in which for the first time since 1928 the elected members were in the majority. The history of Guyana over the last 60 years is largely a record of the birth, growth and decay of a national movement. For the purpose of convenience, this record can be divided into six periods:

1) From 1947 (the formation of the Political Affairs Committee, the precursor of the PPP) to the suspension of the constitution in 1953
2) From 1953 to the 1957 elections
3) From 1957 to the 1962 riots
4) From 1962 to the 1964 elections
5) From December 1964 to independence; and
6) First free and fair elections in 1992.
We have to remember our history cannot be removed just like that or be sidelined as they were three trade unions which jointly with Dr. Jagan on the October 5, 1992 General Elections-the Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union; the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union; and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees.
The Civic component was the PPP’s response. A PPP/Civic combination was engineered to produce what may be described as a broad-based, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-ideological political force that combined the best of both worlds but projected the dominance of the free market over the command-type economy.
Dr. Jagan, as presidential candidate, was strengthened by newcomer, Mr. Samuel A. Hinds an engineer of African extraction from the bauxite town, as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Mr. Hinds was his running mate. The working class and peasantry following became added to a range of professional persons drawn from various strata of the society, and patriotic members of the middle and upper classes, including very wealthy businessmen. They brought new lustre to the PPP.
For the 1992 elections, the PPP published a Manifesto which amplified a broad spectrum of the fundamental issues that constituted the platform of its election campaign. The Manifesto bore the slogan, considered very fitting to Guyana’s circumstances, “Time for Change, Time to rebuild”.
Thanks to the great Leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who said: “Now, all of us together, whatever our party, political affiliation, whatever our race or ethnicity, whatever our creed, we must put our shoulders to the wheel. It’s time to embrace each other and work arm in arm to rebuild our beloved Guyana”.
We must move forward together and make into reality our motto: One people, One Nation, One Destiny.