GEORGETOWN – Attorney General Anil Nandlall has issued one of his strongest public warnings yet to the People’s National Congress–led A Partnership for National Unity (PNC/APNU), cautioning that the party risks being wiped out of the National Assembly entirely if its members continue what he described as racially divisive messaging.
Nandlall’s remarks came in direct response to comments made by newly sworn-in PNC/APNU parliamentarian Dr. David Hinds, who criticised the government’s recent community visit to Tiger Bay. Reacting to President Irfaan Ali’s announced interventions for the area, Hinds claimed the outreach was offensive, saying “every Black man and Black woman should be offended by that spectacle.”
Speaking on his weekly programme Issues in the News, Nandlall argued that such rhetoric has already cost the opposition significantly and warned that it could get worse. “These guys do not understand, and perhaps they will never understand, that it is because of the racial rhetoric that they moved from 31 seats to 12 seats,” he said. “Let them continue this merry way and, in 2030, they will be without a seat. The Guyanese people are intelligent… they have no tolerance for racism and stupidity, and you have a dangerous combination of the two on the opposition benches.”
President Ali’s Tiger Bay visit on Sunday outlined a broad urban renewal plan under the One Guyana “Neighbourhood Love” initiative. It includes a futsal and basketball facility, upgrades to two historic buildings, expanded social services for mothers and children, and new mechanisms to support home improvement in the community.
Hinds, who entered Parliament after the September 1 General and Regional Elections, has a reputation for making controversial and racially charged statements. His comments have often been defended by senior figures in the PNC/APNU, including party leader Aubrey Norton.
The political landscape has shifted dramatically since the last parliamentary cycle. In the previous National Assembly, APNU and the Alliance For Change (AFC) together controlled 31 seats, 22 held by APNU and 9 by the AFC. But in the 2025 elections, APNU’s representation fell to 12 seats, making it the third-largest opposition force.
The new main parliamentary opposition is now the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who has been sanctioned and indicted by U.S. authorities. WIN secured 16 seats, while the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) picked up 1. APNU also lost control of Regions 4, 7, and 10.
Formed in 1957 by Forbes Burnham, the PNC, later PNC/Reform and now APNU, has historically been a dominant political institution, even returning to power between 2015 and 2020 in coalition with the AFC. Today, however, the party finds itself in its weakest position in decades, a decline Nandlall claims is tied to the very rhetoric he is now urging it to abandon.
