General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has strongly condemned the People’s National Congress-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the Alliance For Change (AFC), and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) for their continued attacks on Afro-Guyanese who have either endorsed the PPP or who are seizing opportunities provided by the current administration to empower and uplift themselves.
A PPP team at Wismar, Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), preparing for this weekend’s rally
Speaking during his press conference today, Jagdeo said these opposition parties seem to believe that Afro-Guyanese must ignore their lack of plans and achievements and “just vote for them blindly because of race.”
Jagdeo expressed concern that Afro-Guyanese who are independent thinkers and choose to support the PPP/C – either out of trust in its leadership and vision or to take advantage of opportunities being created by the Government – are subjected to some of the vilest attacks from opposition members.
Referring specifically to WPA’s David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye, Jagdeo lamented that “all they do is try to beat down the young Afro-Guyanese man who is trying to make something from his life.”
Jagdeo also called out AFC’s Nigel Hughes, who warned Afro-Guyanese contractors against pledging loyalty to the PPP/C over Government contracts.
“We see this as empowering people… Of course we’d love them to vote for PPP based on performance and their own empowerment,” the PPP/C GS highlighted as he reminded that AFC, when in government from 2015 to 2020 in coalition with APNU, did not launch any initiatives to ensure young Afro-Guyanese were uplifted.
In fact, he reminded them that Hughes’ wife, Cathy Hughes, who was minister of telecommunications, gave her company millions of dollars in contracts.
Hughes’ company, Videomega Productions, benefitted from contracts from the Ministry of Telecommunications whilst she was minister.
In contrast, Jagdeo – who is also the country’s Vice President (VP) – highlighted that the PPP/C administration has been working tirelessly to ensure all citizens, including Afro-Guyanese, benefit from development taking place countrywide.
He pointed to opportunities in areas such as education, training, employment, healthcare, and housing, which are being created for all citizens.
Moreover, Jagdeo emphasised that the PPP/C is the only multi-ethnic party in the country with a proven track record, and this is why more persons are gravitating towards them.
As such, he urged Afro-Guyanese who continue to be vilified by the opposition to not worry about the attacks.
“Don’t be deterred; don’t be demoralised by it,” Jagdeo encouraged.
Youth & unity
Jagdeo said that APNU has shattered any hope of being credible, particularly as it relates to young people, as nothing significant was done for youths under the APNU/AFC during 2015 to 2020.
“With what they did in the five years, young people know now that they are not going to get any help from ANPU. They ignored young people; they lost jobs – everything in those five years.”
Meanwhile, the VP also recalled the unity of the 1950s when Guyanese stood together in the fight for independence, stressing that the PPP/C remains committed to returning the country to that level of unity.
“For many, many years, the PNC stayed in office through rigged elections. And to do that, they had to keep… the people divided, as Walter Rodney pointed out. And they used race to perpetuate that division,” he reminded.
He said, “That was the biggest tool that they used for decades upon decades to keep our people divided… and we suffered greatly as a country.”
Now, the PPP/C under the leadership of President Mohamed Irfaan Ali is paving the way for thousands of Guyanese, regardless of their race, to secure a better future, Jagdeo said.
