May 11 election is more than PPP/C’s track record, it is about Guyana’s future - President tells Alexander Village residents
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA March 29, 2015, Source
Head of State, Donald Ramotar called on citizens, at a public meeting this evening in Alexander Village to give the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, the opportunity to continue Guyana’s development with a majority victory.
Before a crowd of approximately 250 people, the president reminded residents of the political opposition’s efforts to destroy the local economy, in their quest to “gain power for power’s sake”.
President Donald Ramotar addressing residents of Alexander Village
The initial volte face by the opposition which first supported the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project then voted against it was an attempt, the president said, to have the government pay millions of dollars in litigation for breaching contractual services. He also cited the Environmental Law and its conflict with an overriding Caricom Treaty, which saw a Surinamese company (Rudisa Beverages) moving to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to recoup taxes. Despite government’s best efforts to have the law amended to avoid any issues, the opposition also refused to support this, President Ramotar explained. “They voted against that and the people won the case in the Caribbean Court, and we will have to spend more than a hundred million dollars to pay in compensation to that company because they refused to support us in changing the law”.
Mention was also made of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill, which also failed to garner support from the opposition despite the threat of blacklisting by the international community.
He spoke of the weapons that were handed over to the People’s National Congress (PNC) decades ago, and which have been discovered in the hands of criminals after police encounters. He urged those present to recall the conversations between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) executive Winston Felix and his colleague Basil Williams which recorded them colluding to divert attention away from the opposition, as well as frame an innocent former employee. The conflict of interest by Alliance For Change (AFC) executive Nigel Hughes and the resulting conflict of interest which resulted in those accused of the Lusignan Massacre being set free on a technicality, was also recalled by the president.
He added, “We are dealing here with a bunch of people who do not necessarily care about development. They seek power as an end in its self. We on the other hand seek power as a means to an end that is why we are calling these elections now….I do not want to be president if I can’t do things to lift the welfare of the people of this country.”
The upcoming election is not just about policies, President Ramotar stated, “it also goes to character”. He accused APNU leader David Granger of being instrumental in oppressing Guyanese under the PNC, regime saying, “He can’t hide from his past”.
Highlighting the benefits of the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project, he noted that Granger recently had a change of heart and indicated that he would support the transformational project which he, and the opposition members, refused to support previously in the National Assembly.
A section of the Alexander Village residents at the meeting
The president said the joint opposition was not debating policies when they negotiated to form a coalition, but rather about who would get what position.
Developments in education, health and future developmental plans were mentioned in the fields of energy, technical education services, sugar sector, transportation, infrastructure and other sectors.
In closing, the Head of State said, “We are looking at our future, we are looking at our children’s future…we cannot shut our eyes because they try to change their names”. He urged those gathered to judge the political parties by what they do, “If you judged APNU/PNC by what they did, you will see that they destroyed our country, they destroyed Guyana, that is why they changed their name, in trying to hide from their past”.
The same forces that removed Cheddi Jagan government from power in 1964 are wont to form another coalition to remove the present government despite it being responsible for “the fastest, most progressive economy in the region”. This must not be put in harm’s way, the president emphasised.
“Look at their list, they talk about diversity, look at the crowd yesterday, where was the diversity in that crowd...you must not allow them to try to fool and dupe the Guyanese people and that is why tonight I ask you, individually and even you who are misguided, I ask you to come with us to join with us. Our country cannot afford to be left back, we cannot afford to even stand still because the world is moving fast and if we stand still we will be left back”.
President Donald Ramotar surrounded by residents of Alexander Village
Also delivering remarks was Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, who questioned the intent of the political opposition to properly govern the country and told those gathered that Guyanese had a choice to make, a choice between, despondency and despair or peace, progress and prosperity. He added that in spite of the country’s progress and all the developments the opposition is trying “to turn our country back.” He described Guyana as being the only country in the region that has “so much progress and prosperity”.
He added, “Our history will give us the facts why the PNC cannot have any legitimacy to rule in this country”, given their history of rigging elections and the country’s poor economic performance. “They cannot explain how our economy grew greater than it was in their time, how we can produce many times more rice gold and diamonds, far greater than when they were in power”.
He recalled statements reportedly made by the opposition leader about Guyana being a nation of Jaguars being lead by Jackasses. He responded, “If we are jackasses and we have delivered five times better economy than them, then let us continue to do the jackass work”.
Entirely surrounded, President Donald Ramotar gets a hug from a little lass as her family eagerly snaps the photo
PPP/C Member Dr Vindiya Persaud spoke of the support from the village where her mother originated. She stated that all Guyanese “stand here witness to the progress of the last 23 years”. The PPP/C, she said ensured a quality life for all, “and it is the PPP/C that brought the dream into focus and brought it to a reality. You will be voting for peace progress prosperity and continuity on May 11. This will usher in the transformation of this country. We can stand of the shoulders of our ancestors that make sure that transformation happens and it will continue.” She made mention of the fact that women were playing a prominent role in the government and highlighted the PPP/C’s prime ministerial candidate Elisabeth Harper.
