Corentyne rejects APNU/AFC: 11% doomed

Some of the vehicles from Georgetown transporting APNU+AFC supporters to the rally in Whim, Berbice

…Whim crowd “bused in”

The thousands who gathered at Whim, Corentyne Sunday evening for the PNC-led APNU+AFC rally were mainly residents of Georgetown and even farther afield-a clear indication that the Corentyne constituency has largely rejected the coalition which has been counting on Moses Nagamootoo’s promised 11 per cent from that area, to clinch the majority at the May 11 polls.

In what has now become a culture of “bussing and trucking” supporters to boost numbers at campaign rallies, the PNC-led A Partnership For National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) outdid themselves when they mobilised thousands to journey with them to Whim. Observers had earlier billed the rally as a “make or break” for Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan as the support from the Corentyne constituency would have given a clear indication as to whether they would be able to deliver the 11 per cent Indian votes promised to APNU.

A section of the crowd

However, within mammoth crowd assembled Sunday the vast majority were from outside of Whim with only a sprinkling being of of “Indian Guyanese” decent. Speaking to Bobby Vieira prior the commencement of the rally APNU General Secretary, Joseph Harmon acknowledged that a number of persons had travelled up to Corentyne to attend the rally. He suggested that many used their private transportation which shows that citizens were ready to sacrifice for the coalition. However there were numerous busses photographed brining supporters across the Berbice Bridge.

Harmon also sought to draw comparison with the People’s Progressive Party Civic, which he said used “Guyana Sugar Corporation trucks” to ferry supporters from the Corentyne to their Kitty rally. The PPP/C had pointed out to no avail that GuySuCo did not own “transport trucks” but contracted their service from private operators. The latter as supporters of the PPP/C were said to provide them free of charge to the PPP/C.

The opposition had advertised their Whim rally with a motorcade component. This was seen as a way of staving off any embarrassment from the poor turnout. Both Nagamootoo and Veerasammy Ramayya are from Whim and David Granger said he received his early education in the village. However, Whim over the years has voted solidly for the PPP/C and from Sunday’s turn out it seems as there is no significant shift in support for the party there.

Days before the rally Guyana Times had asked AFC leaders as to whether they were confident of a large turnout of Corentyne residents and AFC, General Secretary David Patterson had expressed optimism. Patterson, speaking to the Guyana Times last Thursday related that he does not believe that the turnout at the meeting will be poor. On the contrary, he was of the strong belief that critics might be in for a surprise when the coalition conducts its meetings there.

Patterson related that while some may continue to live in the view that the Whim, Corentyne area is a PPP/C stronghold, this was not true. The General Secretary said that based on the results of the previous elections, the area has a huge support base for the AFC party. He further pointed out that the Whim was the home to Nagamootoo and Granger. Back in mid February, speaking at a meeting in New Amsterdam Nagamootoo had declared that APNU will easily win 40 per cent of the votes at the upcoming elections. Historically, the PNC which forms the bulk of APNU has always been able to secure this 40 per cent from its traditional African Guyanese base. The AFC, according to Nagamootoo could give the David Granger-led coalition the other 11 per cent it needs to clinch a majority.

At the last elections, the AFC under an Indian Guyanese leader Khemraj Ramjattan won 10.3 per cent of the votes mainly from the Indian dominated Region 6 votes.

In 2006, the AFC had secured a similar percentage of votes but under the leadership of Raphael Trotman, most had come from the APNU African dominated constituency. Conceding that the AFC cannot compare itself with APNU in terms of its electoral strength, Nagamootoo who was hand-selected as Presidential Candidate by AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan said electoral alliance was the way to go. Nagamootoo was deliberately selected by Ramjattan who arbitrarily jettisoned the “presidential candidate rotation principle” to select the Indian Guyanese AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo over the Chairman Nigel Hughes.

On the basis of their claim that the AFC would deliver the 11 per cent Indian Guyanese to APNU, the latter conceded 40 per cent of their last showing in the Parliamentary elections plus three new Vice Presidents. Analysts question whether APNU has to deliver on the agreement since it appears that the AFC would be unable to fulfil it’s side of the Cummingsburg Accord.