Former President Donald Ramotar is not counting out the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) despite its A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition losing every electoral region in the recent general and regional elections—a first in the party’s 69-year-old history.
Speaking on Ignite Television on Thursday, Ramotar said the PNCR failed to recognise dissatisfaction among its own base, leading to desertion by a significant number of supporters.
Additionally, he noted, the party has since 1992 grappled with leadership problems, as well as its continued use of race rhetoric against the PPP, even though their supporters are no longer buying this argument.
From the breakaway of Hamilton Greene from the PNC in 1992 to accusations by PNC ranks of rigging against Carl Greenidge in favour of former President David Granger, the party has faced significant setbacks, Ramotar opined.
“The second thing I believe is causing them to have this great setback…is the question of the propaganda, it does not correspond with reality and therefore they are becoming discredited. They tend to attack the government about racism and discrimination and it doesn’t exist. The government has no policy to discriminate against any one and citizens are beginning to see that,” the former president said.
He pointed out that these recent elections have proven that race rhetoric is no longer working among the PNC base as it once did with the older generation.
As it relates to the WIIN party, Ramotar believes it will be unable to hold onto the support it received during the polls since that support was more of a rejection of the PNC, rather than a loyal transition.
He added that the PNC needs to relook at its modus operandi. “I would like to see them (PNC) contesting on the basis of ideas and programmes, on the manifestos and rational arguments. This election should highlight that their over reliance on race as a factor to keep their base is coming to an end,” Ramotar emphasised. “I think they have to go back to the drawing board and really honestly examine their position and recognise that racism is losing its potency.”
Ramotar said that once the PNC can present plans and programmes that speak to the people, it will have a real chance of getting back into the game.
