Dear Editor,
In my recent travel around Guyana in October to supervise an opinion survey, especially in outlying communities away from Georgetown, traditional supporters of the PPP complained they hardly see their Members of Parliament and even some in the leadership (Central Committee and Executive Committee) of the party.
They noted that only a handful among the leadership like Bharrat Jagdeo, Irfaan Ali, and Anil Nandlall visit them routinely. Shyam Nokta also makes a presence at times.
But in some communities, even these towering figures don’t visit their traditional supporters. They are taken for a ride by politicians from both sides of the aisle. But they are angry with the PPP for neglecting them and not providing them with equitable amount of resources that were given to the urban areas (PNC supporters).
The rural voters said this was one of the reasons why the PPP lost support in 2011 and in 2015 causing it initially its majority and then its subsequent loss of office. Traditional PPP supporters love Jagdeo who they say tries to find time to meet with them to discuss their grievances and who sympathise. They have no doubt that if a free and fair elections were held, Jagdeo would win a comfortable majority.
In Essequibo, PPP supporters said they have seen me more often over the last five years than Donald Ramotar or the PPP MP for Essequibo. They also note that I visited them more than Ramotar did during his Presidency. They note that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo visited them more often in 16 months than Ramotar did during his entire Presidency. But they are disappointed in Nagamootoo for failing to honour promises made to them.
And they also complain that when the PPP was in office and its ministers visited Essequibo, they spent most of their time with the “Big Shots,” ignoring the common person. This cost them voter support. Essequibians say they see Jagdeo, Irfaan Alli and Shyam Nokta regulalrly and are grateful to them for visiting and holding constructive meetings.
Jagdeo also makes his presence felt in Berbice, Region Five, East Demerara and West Demerara and other hard-core areas of the party’s base.
He is not bogged down in Georgetown like other PPP MPs and most of the leadership. He grounds with the people, trying to relate to their problems unlike some party MPs who have hardly visited the base since the party was ousted from office by the Americans.
Many Berbicians don’t even know who is their MP and the same holds true of MPs from rural and the hinterland areas. The problem with rural or hinterland MPs is they are relocated in or living in Georgetown and they don’t find time to visit their constituents or supporters. They don’t even lobby for resources for their constituents.
Because they live in town, they are more concerned about resources for their town community. So rural and hinterland areas get neglected. And that is one reason why rural areas lag behind urban areas in every socioeconomic indicator and in development.
The leadership of the PPP should find time to visit with their traditional supporters so as to galvanise them into action and to consolidate their base. Jagdeo or Ali alone can’t do it by themselves. They need support. Failing that, the party will find itself in the same situation it did in 2011 and 2015.
Supporters also say the party should choose youth in its internal elections in its leadership committees and party positions.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
