PPP/C heading for largest victory ever in Region One…thousands support meetings

 

The People’s Progressive Party won the majority votes in Region One (Barima/Waini) at the 2001 elections and is confident that it will score even bigger this time around.

This was clearly evident from the support the Party received today, August 22, when its Presidential Candidate Bharrat Jagdeo and Candidate Carolyn Rodrigues hosted public meetings in the three sub-regions – Matarkai (at Port Kaituma), Moruca (Santa Rosa) and Mabaruma.

Supporters braved the inclement weather to listen to their candidates’ presentation, which featured mainly on efforts to correct the historical neglect of Amerindian people, particularly by the People’s National Congress.

Mr. Jagdeo recalled the days when hinterland residents, particularly Amerindians, were not allowed to vote and in some cases proxy votes were made on their behalf without their consent. In those days, many of them were not given the right to vote, since persons could have only voted if they were literate or owned property. “But don’t worry; they can’t take away your rights anymore. We have fought hard and long to ensure you have the right to vote, a fight that was led by Cheddi Jagan and you have to ensure that this freedom is preserved by turning out on August 28 and placing your X next to the cup,” he told the jubilant supporters, who warmly welcomed the visiting delegation from the Mabaruma airstrip.

Mr. Jagdeo confirmed that there is still a long road to travel to attain a desired level of progress in Guyana and pledged his government’s support to that journey. He said the country could go a long way, but that depends on people working together. “There is much more work to be done in your communities to further improve health care, education delivery, water supply, road links, bridges and importantly, transportation, both land and riverain. And that is why we are asking you for another five years,” he told residents at Mabaruma. He further stated that, “we have not solved every problem. Managing the country is like managing a poor home. There are more needs than you have money to meet. But I assure you that we manage the country with our hearts and we are concerned about your issue and so we have to prioritise. The little resources that we have, we try to share it equally across the country,” he said. He said that some $1.5B would be spent on road links in the next term in office so as to lower cost of living in the hinterland and improve access to markets.

Mr. Jagdeo told supporters that there are several small political Parties contesting the Elections with the aim of weakening the PPP/C’s support base. However, residents should ignore their ploys because many of them have not visited the Region prior to the Elections season. He noted that the PPP/C competitors are uneasy with the high level of support the Party is receiving from areas that traditionally did not support the PPP/C. One such example is the large turn out to the PPP/C Rally held in Linden, which was attended by more than 3,000 persons from Region Ten. “They are worried about seeing us in the large numbers… they are getting the shock of their lives,” he said.

One of the small Parties to which he referred is the Guyana Action Party headed by Paul Hardy, who does not reside in Guyana, but is here for the campaign. He visited the region recently and is spreading rumours that the PPP/C wants to take away Amerindian land and the Party does not believe in God, which the Amerindians hold sacred. “That is absolutely untrue comrades. In my Cabinet sits the head of the Presbyterian churches in Guyana and a Hindu Minister. But they are afraid of our message, which is about national unity and progress and they can’t beat us on the policies and programmes, so their attacks are based on falsehood. They spread rumours,” he said.

Ms. Rodrigues told residents that the Opposition Parties’ plans and promises in this 2006 Elections campaign are all extracts of plans being implemented by this Administration which was restored to Office through free and fair Elections in 1992. She said many of the Parties want to revise the Amerindian Act and when the Act was in Parliament they only had two objections, which were the name and they wanted village elections to be done by the Guyana Elections Commission. “So what would they change now? I want you (residents) to stare them in the face when they come here and ask what have they done for you or your children when they (PNC) were in office for 28 years? Which school or health huts did they build and what opportunities did they create? The PNC say they would set up an Indigenous People’s Fund. The PPP/C did it since 1992,” she told residents.

Speaking at her hometown Santa Rosa, which attracted the largest crowd of the three meetings, the PPP/C Candidate noted that the Opposition Parties can no longer fool Amerindians or bribe them into voting for them because the PPP/C has spent millions educating them. “Every single Amerindian settlement or village now has a school…there are more than 90 Amerindian students now on scholarships at the University of Guyana and 19 of them are studying in Cuba. We have trained teachers at the Cyril Potter College of Education, Dentex and Medex.

Regional Candidate Norman Whittaker pointed to the significant development in the communities, particularly in the areas of health, education, electricity provision, road and bridge links and training for young people to assist with employment. He noted that the Opposition parties have been trying to buy the Village Captains, who they hope, would persuade residents to vote in their favour, “but the Captains get better sense. They know where progress is and they want it to continue. Don’t you want progress to continue?” This was greeted with loud shouts in the affirmative.

Meanwhile, Sharon Santiago a Regional Candidate of Mabaruma Settlement, said that “in days gone by no government was interested in our development, but today, under the PPP/C we have the basic amenities, including electricity, water, road, schools, health facilities and transportation.

Young Warren Lackna attested to the progress for youths, who have benefited from many opportunities, including himself who is pursuing a diploma in Forestry at the University of Guyana.

At Port Kaituma, Regional Candidate Mary Williams spoke of the many developments during this term of the PPP/C and being on the PPP/C platform for the firm time. She called on persons who currently do not support the PPP/C to make the choice based on the developments they have seen.

Before leaving the Regions, many of the candidates said that the PPP/C is committed to another term of hard work and improving the lives of Guyanese. The Presidential Candidate sought a partnership with Region One as the Party seeks to be returned to Office. This was met with loud cheers and fervent pledges of support on polling day when the PPP/C will contest the General and Regional Elections with nine other Parties.

He urged that Guyanese judge the PPP/C by its record in Office, which proudly boasts significant progress in the education and health-care delivery, as well as in the areas of housing and water, the productive sectors and the economy. Mr. Jagdeo explained that Guyana inherited a foreign debt of more than US$2B and has repaid about US$1.1B. Additionally, through debt relief and debt repayments, government has reduced the debt servicing to less than 20 percent as against the 94 percent it inherited from the PNC administration. “So the progress you see here today, we have made it with our hands tied behind our backs,” he said.

Propogating his Party’s message of bringing people together, the Candidate who is current President of Guyana, called on the people to spread the message in their communities. He reaffirmed the Party’s confidence that it will not only secure enough votes to win the Presidency, but to capture the majority in the National Assembly. The PPP/C’s campaign is largely based on its defence of the working class of people of all races and culture. Mr. Jagdeo urged his supporters to understand that they are not voting for a government that would support any one group, but one that would support every Guyanese, regardless of his/her political affiliation or ethnic group.

All the areas were decorated with the Party’s colours, yellow, red and black and posters of its Presidential Candidate and Prime Ministerial Candidate Samuel Hinds.

Also at the meetings was PPP/C Candidate Dr. Bheri Ramsarran, who hailed the many improvements in the delivery of health services regionally. He said for the continuation of this trend, residents should vote for the Cup on August 28. He also told them to ensure that they educate each other about how to vote so that there are no spoilt votes on polling day.

 

August 22, 2006

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