“No other Govt has put more money in pockets of ordinary Guyanese” – James Bond

…thanks Afro-Guyanese for standing with him in support of the PPP/C

Former People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Executive and Member of Parliament James Bond, on Saturday delivered a powerful message of unity and transformation as he took the stage at the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) final campaign rally ahead of Monday’s General and Regional Elections. Bond, who has spent the past several months on the campaign trail actively supporting the PPP/C, thanked his fellow Afro-Guyanese colleagues for their courage in walking beside him and rejecting the narrative of political loyalty dictated by ethnic lines.
“I want to salute my fellow Afro-Guyanese sisters and brothers that have walked with me that have campaigned with me. I love you, we know we can trust this party. We know we can rely on this party. We know we can trust this President because this President has given us the ability and the empowerment to live our true selves,” Bond said.
“I want to salute my fellow Afro-Guyanese sisters and brothers that have walked with me, that have campaigned with me. I love you,” Bond declared to a cheering crowd in Lusignan.
“We know we can trust this party. We know we can rely on this party. We know we can trust this President because this President has given us the ability and the empowerment to live our true selves.”
Bond’s endorsement of the PPP/C marks a significant political shift, considering his prominent role within the PNC/R, a party historically backed by Afro-Guyanese communities. Bond reflected on his own political journey, his past criticisms of PPP/C leaders and the inclusivity he says he has now found within the governing party.
“Nobody here has cursed Dr Bharrat Jagdeo more than me. Nobody has cursed President Dr Irfaan Ali more than me,” Bond admitted.
“How did a little Afro Guyanese from humble beginnings get here? I have to thank the People’s Progressive Party/Civic that welcomed me like family. I have to thank you, the members, that welcomed me, James Bond, a former PNC and Afro Guyanese into this PPP/C family.”
Bond reminded the crowd of the many benefits that the PPP/C has brought to the Guyanese population over the past five years.
“No other Government has put more money in the pockets of ordinary Guyanese than the People’s Progressive Party Civic,” Bond noted. Bond is among a wave of high-profile Afro-Guyanese figures and PNC/R members that have broken ranks with the opposition to join or support the PPP/C over the past few years. Other prominent Afro-Guyanese include former APNU Member of Parliament (MP) and Region 10 Regional Chairman Lindener Jermaine Figueira, former PNC/R Youth Activist Thandi McAllister, PNC/R executive Van West-Charles, former APNU Georgetown Councillors Trichiria Richards and Malcolm Ferreira, former Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, and Vice Chairman for Region Four, Samuel Sandy.
The trend has also extended beyond Afro-Guyanese supporters. Several Indo-Guyanese PNC/R members have also crossed over, including former PNC/R General Secretary (GS) Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Treasurer Faaiz Mursaline, and Region Four Regional Chairman Daniel Seeram. Additionally, a number of PNC/R-affiliated figures have formed new political movements in protest of internal dysfunction and divisive politics within APNU. This includes Amanza Walton-Desir, who founded the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), and Simona Broomes, who launched the Assembly of Liberty and Justice Party (ALP). The wave of crossovers has not been met without controversy. Afro-Guyanese who have chosen not to support the PNC/R have faced public ridicule and character attacks, with some opposition figures labelling them as “sell-outs” and “clowns.”
Among the most vocal critics is Dr David Hinds, executive of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and a key APNU figure, who has sparked outrage for referring to Afro-Guyanese defectors as “lick bottoms,” “house slaves,” and “sell-outs.” He also singled out Chandan-Edmond as a “slave catcher” and accused Seeram of benefiting from “ethnic favouritism.” The derogatory commentary has drawn sharp rebuke from across the political divide and civil society, with many condemning it as divisive and counterproductive to national unity. Urging voters to see beyond historical divisions, Bond has called for a second term for President Ali, saying, “I have to conclude by saying in this race there is only one thoroughbred running. In this race, we have only one heavyweight.”