THERE is no perfect political party, or coalition or government. Anyone who tells you that is fooling you. The coalition is not perfect, but it is more perfect than its competitors. And there is a lot of fooling coming your way in this electoral season. Bob Marley calls the “Crazy Baldheads” and he warns:
Here comes the conman
Coming with his con plan
We won’t take no bribe
We’ve got to stay alive

Political bribery was always part of Guyanese politics, but it was normalised by the PPP. That party not only bribed its supporters, but more importantly it sought to make bribery a part of its plan to woo support from the opposite constituency. It lavished a lot of bad money on some shady and not-so-shady people and encouraged them to use that money to recruit soldiers for the PPP. This is how the ‘Phantom Squads’ were born.

With elections around the corner, the Phantom is at work again. They are coming in your midst again trying to buy you over with their bad money. The PPP still has a lot of bad money. The rich people they created with government money and other State assets are now giving back some of that money to the PPP. They intend to use that money to buy or suppress the coalition’s vote.

The PPP and its cohorts have no respect for half of the population; they think that they can buy them with a little bit of money. That’s what they think you are worth — a few thousand dollars. They think people are gullible to the point of self-destruction. They will use some of your own friends to seduce you into their trap. So, you have to resist that plan. You are worth more than that. A little bribe here and there is not the answer to your problems. Bob Marley again warns of the Rat Race:

Don’t forget your history
Know your destiny
In the abundance of water
The fool is thirsty

The PPP cannot be allowed back in power; their track record is frightening. They rule by fear and by the gun — ask the people of Linden and the families of the over 400 men gunned down. They govern by economic gangsterism — taking the country’s resources and sharing it out to their friends and family. They rule with one race in mind rather than all races. Guyana cannot go that route again. The choice at the election is as clear cut as it can get.

NUMBER ONE, there is a choice is between a one-party outfit that is grounded in ethnic dominance and a coalition of parties that reflect the ethnic diversity of Guyana. Guyana can ill-afford ethnic conflict as we become an oil-rich nation.

NUMBER TWO, there is a choice between a party with a record of Human Rights violations and the denial of civil liberties and a coalition with a spotless record when it comes to upholding human rights. Nobody can point their finger in Granger’s face and accuse him of jailing his competitors or ordering the police to shoot at them. This is a serious thing. The Phantom Squads are gone.

The Roger Khan’s are defanged. There is a very clear choice between a party that built up a criminal State and a coalition that tore down the criminal State

NUMBER THREE, there is a choice between a party that shares Guyana’s wealth to its friends and its members and a coalition that shares Guyana’s wealth to the Guyanese people. Everybody knows some big boy who benefitted from the PPP. From Pradoville One to Pradoville Two, the evidence is there for all to see.

NUMBER FOUR, we have a choice between a party that looks out for one race and a coalition that looks out for all races. The coalition distributed resources in all communities. From Berbice to Georgetown to Lethem, all communities benefitted.
NUMBER FIVE, the choice is between a Presidential Candidate who is uninspiring and invisible and a President who is dignified. There is no way Irfaan can put his foot in Granger’s shoes — it’s like chalk and cheese.