Bring out every voter
Minister of Social Cohesion, George Norton, during his presentation
Minister of Social Cohesion, George Norton, during his presentation

– Minister Harmon tells APNU LGE Bartica rally

Bartica’s mayor, regional chairman and three government ministers collectively hammered the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at an APNU rally held in First Avenue, Bartica, on Saturday evening.

The tough rhetoric came as they called on supporters not to become distracted or allow anyone to spilt the party’s votes at the upcoming LGEs.

Hundreds of persons braved the rain to listen to the speakers, who asked for support in the upcoming election to further advance development in the region and community through the municipality.

Thirty bicycles were donated to students of Bartica before commencement of the APNU rally

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said he along with other APNU representatives travelled to Bartica to throw support behind Mayor Gilford Marshall and team.

He said Bartica has no colour other than green, since it will be the first ‘green’ town under the Green State Development and Strategy.

Calling on the crowd to shout APNU loudly so that the President can hear even though he is in Cuba, Harmon charged the crowd, which responded positively.

“We believe that local democracy can only be strengthened if you have what is called democratic renewal; this starts with regular local government elections, so that if you have representatives in your community that do not perform, then every two years you have a chance to say good bye, and welcome to people who can perform,” Harmon told the mostly green-coloured t-shirt gathering.

He said the PPP during their tenure had disbanded local democratic organs and replaced them with Interim Management Committees (IMC).
“When the PPP comes to you, what do you tell them,” Harmon said to a crowd that shouted back “No!!!”.
“When any other party comes to you what do you say,” Harmon said, receiving a resounding “No!!!” once again.
Telling the gathering that elections are not about rallies, Harmon encouraged the gathering to bring out their friends and families to vote in the LGEs.

GO HOUSE-TO-HOUSE
Addressing the delegates contesting the elections, he told them he wants everyone to visit each and every house and ensure that they educate persons on how to vote and identify themselves as APNU candidates.

“Do not skip any house,” he told the gathering.

Social Cohesion Minister George Norton said APNU does not represent a one- party state, but a collection of parties that work for the benefit of the country.

Minister Joseph Harmon and Mayor Gifford Marshall share a light moment with a tailor during a walkabout in the Bartica market before the LGE rally on Saturday

“We were convinced that the winner takes all could not work in Guyana and because of that, we were generous in our negotiations… it shows when only one of our negotiators who receive 11 per cent of the votes cast, yet they enjoy 40 per cent of the seats we gained,” Norton said, while reflecting on the Cummingsburg Accord.

He explained that the AFC is enjoying the political benevolence of the APNU; as such, that party should not show interest in Bartica because it encourages the PPP to camp out in the community, thereby causing strife.

“This government is concerned with the state of affairs of our youths and only recently contracts were signed for two more synthetic tracks, one in New Amsterdam and the other in Linden,” he said.

Adding that the President has endorsed the idea that every region should have its own sports complex to benefit the youths, Dr. Norton said Bartica has the youngest mayor in the country; and the APNU will be focusing on the youths to develop themselves into leaders in every field.

PNCR/R General-Secretary and Social Protection Minister Amna Ally told the gathering that the PPP does not like law and order, but would choose instead to dabble in corruption and illegalities.

She told the residents of Bartica that they are benefiting from central and local government development in all spheres.

“In Bartica, the coalition government has made your life better, you have begun to enjoy the good life that was promised to you by your President David Granger,” she said.
Under the 5Bs programme, Minister Ally said residents are benefiting from the David ‘G’ buses and a number of bicycles and under the PPP, 23 years there was never a vision to implement such a programme to assist residents in a tangible manner.

Minister Harmon interacts with market vendors during his walkabout in the Bartica market

“But our adults and children feel the ease and not the squeeze; many of our children can get to school on time and in comfort,” the PNCR/R general-secretary said.
Minister Ally said the President’s vision is for all youths to have a good education.
Telling Barticians that they deserve to be treated properly and not like animals, Minister Ally said the coalition government is humane and will improve everyone’s lives.
She said the government through the regional administration has ensured that projects such as a new stelling are being done, along with all other aspects of development in the region.

“During the PPP 23 years they did nothing for you, don’t trust them, they want to use you and then lose you; they want power, but we will keep the power and work for you and so I ask you to ensure that we keep the power; so support this government and progress will continue,” she said to loud applause.

DON’T ALLOW THEM
Rising from his seat with a musical intro of “the truth will be revealed”, Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford sang along and told the crowd that “we must not allow people from the red party or people from the yellow party to take what belongs to us.”
Noting that Bartica is clean, ‘green’ and pristine, the regional chairman said the PPP has run out of gimmicks until they are sending “gimmicks in the region to convince us that we should change from green.”

Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally during her speech

Bradford called President David Granger a visionary since even in opposition he had declared that when he becomes President, Bartica would be given township status; he added that no other party has done more for Bartica that the APNU government.
“A few nights ago the PPP had a meeting at Fifth Avenue where they had six people other than their supporters that turned up at the meeting… and it was said that the combination of Bradford and Marshall is a human disaster,” the regional chairman said.

He continued: “Every project and development that comes to the fore under the APNU+AFC coalition government is a nail in the coffin of the PPP; so we are indeed a human disaster, but for whom? We are a disaster for the PPP, because they realise that they cannot fool the people all of the time, they could only fool us some of the time.”
Further, Bradford said under the Town Council there has been tremendous change in Bartica.

Reflecting on an AFC meeting recently, Bradford said all of their speakers acknowledged the good works done under APNU, but want to promise that they are capable of doing more.

“Well I want to know if I so foolish to have a bird in my hand and lose it to grab at a bird that is flying in the air, which I may never catch,” Bradford said.
Telling the crowd that a promise is a comfort to a fool, the regional chairman said no party has a magic wand; “but some people just dreaming that they will run this township and they will do everything, promises, promises, promises.”

A section of the gathering at the APNU Bartica LGE rally

Asking if there were any fools in the crowd, Bradford got a resounding “No!!!”
Mayor Gifford Marshall in his address said the PPP has its agents spreading untruth in the region; and the party is preying on residents of Bartica to confuse voters into believing that the PPP can do something which it could not have done in 23 years, when it was in power.
“Come November 12, go to the polls and vote for APNU. If you neglect your democratic right to vote, you will live to regret it, your children will live to regret it and all of us will live to regret it,” he told supporters and residents of Bartica at the rally.
He called on everyone to ensure that their relatives, friends and family members vote to ensure that development continues.

The mayor said that under the PPP, an IMC was installed to manage the affairs of the region. “They didn’t believe in democracy, they believed in dictatorship, so they decided who will manage the affairs of the town; and everything went down the drain.”
He said that through cronyism the PPP made Bartica a nightmare, reminding Barticans of the massacre that happened in the region under the previous government’s rule.
“I want to say to you that we have a caring government… our best days are ahead of us only if we vote right on November 12; our children have a bright future only if we vote right,” the mayor said.

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