Remember effort made by ‘Ballot Box’ Martyrs – MP

The preservation of democracy in Guyana centers on upholding the efforts of the ballot box martyrs, said Member of Parliament Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo on Tuesday as he addressed scores of persons, who braved the inclement weather to commemorate the sacrifice made by the two Corentyne residents.
Mahadeo noted that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is calling on all Guyanese regardless of their political affiliation to ensure that the cause for which the ballot box martyrs made the ultimate sacrifice is not gone in vain.
He made the statements as he addressed the gathering at the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Number 65 Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) in honor of the ballot box martyrs.

July 16, 2024, marked the 51st death anniversary of 17-year-old Jagan Ramessar and 42-year-old Bholanauth Parmanand – the “ballot box martyrs”.
The duo was killed after becoming victims in a hail of bullets from guns carried by members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) as they were protesting the removal of ballot boxes from a polling station along the Corentyne Coast.
Member of Parliament Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo pointed out that the two martyrs were standing up for their rights when they were shot and killed.
“They were part of a gathering at Number 63 Village by the school and everybody there was asking for the same thing; they were asking for the same thing – for their votes to be counted. The soldiers got instructions and they shot into the crowd and these two young men were shot and they literally bled to death; that is what the post-mortem report showed. What we also learned from the investigation which was done is that instead of them being picked up and taken to the hospital for medical intervention right away, they were taken and driven around all over and after they were dead, then they were taken to the hospital,” Dr. Mahadeo said.
On Tuesday, wreaths were laid at their graves at Number 65 Village, Corentyne.
Following the wreath-laying ceremony Dr. Mahadeo called on attendees to keep up the legacy of Jagan Ramessar and Bholanauth Parmanand.
Dr. Mahadeo noted that Tuesday’s wreath-laying ceremony was a significant one since Guyana should never be going back to those days when persons voted and their ballots were not counted. That happened during a period when there were rigged elections and no counting of ballots at the place of poll.
“That is during the period when the PNC [People National Congress] could have done whatever they felt like. The history of rigged elections is linked with the PNC and these two martyrs and testimony that the people of Guyana are not going to sit idly and allow their votes not to be counted and idly allow people to destroy the future of Guyana,” he added.
In 1992, the PPP won the national elections after being in opposition for 28 years.
“We saw what happened in 2020. There was again a major attempt to have elections stolen. We remember the bed sheet story and the announcement by officials of the Elections Commission of numbers that did not correspond with what the Statement of Poll said. We won that and in the name of these two heroes we have got to continue that fight to ensure that there are free and fair elections and to ensure that my vote and your vote and everybody’s vote irrespective of who they voted for, that their votes are counted and that democracy prevails,” the MP stated. (G4)