PPP/C, Linden supporters debunk Stabroek News’ misrepresentation

 

People’s Progressive Party/Civic General Secretary Donald Ramotar and several of its supporters from Region Ten today strongly refuted claims by the Stabroek News July 27 edition that the PPP/C paid persons to support its parade from Freedom House to City Hall for Nominations Day.

Ramotar at a press conference today noted that the Stabroek News’ article claims that the Party paid $3,000 per person for their support, which is totally malicious on the newspaper’s behalf.

Meanwhile several of the Linden supporters present at the media conference expressed their outrage at the Stabroek News’ lies. Candidate on the PPP/C Regional List Maylene Dandrad who was part of the Linden team told the media that “not a single person could come forward and say the PPP/C paid them. The young people especially, of which there were about 85 percent were here supporting President Bharrat Jagdeo. They want to be with him. They stand beside him and that is why we were present and were in no way involved in the payment of anyone and if you want you could go to Linden and get the facts straight.”

Meanwhile, another candidate on the PPP/C Regional List Sherry James said that the young people in Linden responded to the invitation in large numbers and the PPP/C Linden group members volunteered transportation to being them to Georgetown in addition to the 14 large buses provided. “I glad for them to put up (the name of) a person or persons who said so. The press must look more for information. I am surprised at Stabroek News. I liked to read the paper,” she said. There were more than 1,000 supporters from Linden in the Nominations Day parade. “Last night when the buses returned there was confrontation and you know what the people said coming out of the buses, it is not one PPP now standing up to 20 PNC members, it is a PPP and a PNC. Now we are as strong as you. So people in Linden give their canter and buses to transport people. We know that they would have been shocked (non-supporters) but I am surprised that they would lie,” she said.

Ramotar also lambasted the newspaper for its coverage of the recent resignation fo Boyo Ramsaroop from the PPP. He pointed out that there was imbalanced converge of the PPP’s explanation of this matter by the paper.

“The Stabroek News of course had Boyo’s presentation in a very prominent position and days later gave me two paragraph and then repeated the whole of Boyo’s presentation, which in my view clearly shows that there is an anti-PPP sentiment that has developed in that paper that is of concern and I think we will have now to recognise them as an Opposition newspaper probably seemingly mainly to be leaning on the side very strongly of the Alliance for Change,” he said.

However, he expressed gratitude to all supporters who turned out on Nominations Day and even those who are supporting other events. and commenting on his Party’s Lists, he noted that it truly reflects the strength and diversity of the Party. “It is truly the only nationalist party,” he said.

July 27, 2006

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