Generation 2000 (G2K), the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), has condemned what it describes as a “racist comment” made by People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for Clarendon North Western, Richard Azan.

According to the G2K, Azan likened rival JLP candidate Warren Newby to a monkey while addressing supporters at a recent political meeting.

In a statement on Sunday, the organisation said the remark was not only personally degrading to Newby, but also echoes what it claims to be a disturbing and consistent trend of racist and discriminatory behavior emanating from the Mark Golding-led PNP.

It said Azan’s statement follows other distasteful acts by members of the PNP, including Golding holding a chain around the neck of a supporter, which the G2K said evoked painful imagery of slavery; and a PNP candidate allegedly comparing the appearance of Jamaican citizens to monkeys on national television.

According to the G2K, such actions speak to a broader and deeply troubling pattern of disrespect, elitism, and disregard for the dignity of the Jamaican people by those who now seek to lead them.

The G2K said it is calling on Azan to immediately apologise to Newby and the Jamaican people for his remarks. It also urged Azan, as a senior politician, not to attempt to compensate for what it said are years of political dormancy by resorting to vile personal attacks that insult not only his opponent but the very citizens he claims to represent.

“We also call on the leadership of the PNP to take accountability and put an end to this culture of disrespect. These are not isolated incidents; they have become defining markers of the tone and character of the PNP under its current leadership,” the G2K said.