THE People’s National Congress (PNC) continues to show that it is simply unable (and unwilling) to break with its long history of behaving as if Afro-Guyanese should never vote for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

After President Cheddi Jagan died in March 1996, the PNC violently opposed the nomination of his wife, Janet, as its candidate for the presidency, despite her having all the necessary credentials as the longest-serving parliamentarian in the National Assembly.

She was a member of the PPP’s Central and Executive Committee and its Political Bureau for decades — and was Prime Minister when selected to lead the PPP into the next national elections. But after 55 years in Guyana politics, the PNC would suddenly discover (in 1996) that Prime Minister Jagan was not born in Guyana — and therefore (by their crooked measurement) did not qualify to become its first woman President.

The violent nature of the PNC’s opposition to Mrs. Jagan’s selection and election led to mediation by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), resulting to the two-term limit for future Guyana presidents.

Uncertain of its ability to win any free and fair election after democracy returned in 1992, the PNC held on to the term-limit recommendation like a gift of manna from the heavens.

The protests were so racially-grounded that the aging second President Jagan only served less than half her term — December 19, 1997 to August 11, 1999 – after which the PPP chose its youngest available candidate, then Finance Minister, Bharrat Jagdeo.

The PNC kept its race guns aimed at President Jagdeo throughout his two terms, accusing him of developing Guyana only for Indo-Guyanese. But Guyanese voters, including Afro-Guyanese who’d earlier supported the PNC, kept their trust in the PPP/C’s leadership and after the term-limits provision kicked-in, voted for Dr Jagdeo’s successor, President Donald Ramotar.

The PNC-led opposition coalition used their one-seat parliamentary majority to cripple the Ramotar administration for its entire five-year term.

The David Granger administration spent the next five years proving, yet again, that PNC-led administrations are always less-interested in improving the lives of Afro-Guyanese, as in their own privileges.

Eventually, the outgoing APNU+AFC administration did the unthinkable and accused the then opposition of stealing its 2020 victory. The rest is ugly Guyana history.

Today, with Local Government Elections (LGE) in June, the PNC (and what’s left of the WPA) are both playing the usual race card, this time absolutely refusing to condemn a racial call for violence and mutiny by the nation’s armed forces – just because their policy seems to be that as long as a PPP/C administration is in office, anything is fair game, including preaching violence in the name of “Freedom of Speech”.

That everyone else who will call a spade a spade has condemned the recent race-baiting call-to-arms, is commendable.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, did not mix words last week to describe the actions of those who claim to speak for Guyanese who look like him and he thoroughly exposed the dirty linen being offered as clean clothes by the usual suspects.

The opposition continues going to all and any lengths to disrupt the growing evidence of wider national appreciation of the economic progress and racial harmony being achieved under this Dr Irfaan Ali-led administration.

But Guyanese who lived through the five long years and stolen five months under the last administration are again showing clearer signs they will reject those who persistently sow only national discord.

Meanwhile, it’s quite clear that the race-baiters fishing for political relevance are again well-underway to losing everything in just three months – but this time: Hook, line and sinker!