THE PPP is the largest multi-ethnic party in Guyana. Formed 61 years ago, it is perhaps the only political party in the Anglo-phone Caribbean that has never lost a free and fair election since its formation on January 1, 1950. The PPP won a landslide victory in the first election held under universal adult suffrage in 1953 which undoubtedly was a wake-up call to the colonial office that the masses of Guyana were not prepared to countenance a situation in which they were denied a voice in the administration of the colony’s affairs. Prior to the formation of the PPP, Dr. Cheddi Jagan fought and won a seat in the Legislative Council in the elections of 1947 which for the first time allowed for genuine political representation of the toiling masses.

The PPP has never departed from the philosophical and ideological position it took since its formation some 60 years ago. It has always defended the interests of the Guyanese people even at the risk of being removed from office as in fact happened in 1953 when the constitution was suspended by the British Government and again in the elections of 1964 when the Constitution was amended to allow for Proportional Representation as opposed to the constituency model. Due to what the former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson described as a  “fiddled constitutional arrangement” the PPP was engineered out of office and a PNC-UF coalition foisted on the Guyanese people with disastrous consequences. The PNC kicked out the UF on the eve of the 1968 elections which were massively rigged to perpetuate PNC rule.

The removal of the PPP from office in 1964 saw the end of democracy and democratic rule as all elections from 1968 to 1985 were massively rigged to prolong the life of the PNC. It is difficult for the Guyanese people to get a real sense of the true voting preferences of the Guyanese electorate since the ballot boxes were tampered with to ensure a PNC victory. Given however the unpopularity of the PNC it was impossible for that party to win as in fact the October 1992 elections demonstrated.

As in the case of the 1964 elections, there are again forces that are seeking to deny the PPP parliamentary majority. Unlike the 1964 constitution which allowed for two or more parties to form a coalition government in the event of none of the parties obtaining a majority of the votes, the present constitution does not allow for post-election coalitions for the purpose of forming the government. Given the popularity and strength of the PPP/C it is almost certain that the PPP would be returned to power, possibly with a greater margin of victory than it obtained at the last election.

Guyanese have learnt from the mistakes of the past and are seeing through the smokescreen of these forces, in particular the AFC and APNU to frustrate the work of a PPP government. This is why Guyanese from all ethnic groups and from all walks of life will turn out on elections day and vote solidly for the PPP/C and in so doing thwart the efforts of opposition elements to turn back the clock of history and return this country to a dark and painful past.