 Although the Afro-Guyanese middle class was uneasy with Burnham's leftist leanings, the PNC remained a shield against Indo-Guyanese dominance.The support of the Afro-Guyanese community allowed the PNC to bring the economy under control and to begin organizing the country into cooperatives.On February 23, 1970, Guyana declared itself a "cooperative republic" and cut all ties to the British monarchy.