National Labour Front Explained

The National Labour Front (NLF) was a political party in Guyana.

History

The NLF was established by Lionel Luckhoo in 1956 after a split in the United Democratic Party.[1] [2] [3] Luckhoo was persuaded to establish the party by wealthy anti-communist Indo-Guyanese, and it ran on an anti-independence platform, opposing the People's Progressive Party.[3]

In the 1957 general elections it was the only party to nominate a candidate in all 14 Legislative Council seats, and had a large campaign budget.[3] The party received 12% of the vote, winning only a single seat in the North Western District constituency, taken by Stephen Campbell,[4] who became the first Amerindian member of the Guyanese parliament.[5]

The party did not run in the 1961 elections, but returned to contest the 1964 elections. However, it received only 177 votes and failed to win a seat.[6] The party did not contest any further elections.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Colin A. Palmer (2010) Cheddi Jagan and the Politics of Power: British Guiana's Struggle for Independence, Univ of North Carolina Press, p205
  2. http://www.guyana.org/features/guyanastory/chapter141.html The all-party conferences
  3. [Odeen Ishmael]
  4. http://www.gecom.org.gy/pdf/elections%20results%201957.pdf 1957 Elections
  5. http://www.guyaneseachievers.com/stephen-campbell/ Stephen Campbell MP
  6. [Dieter Nohlen]
  7. Nohlen, p365