THE APNU+AFC on Sunday issued a statement condemning social media attacks and bullying against reigning Chutney Monarch Steven Ramphal by “known PPP facebook bullies, thugs and trolls”, who have been attacking the singer following his performance at the APNU+AFC Campaign Launch last Friday.

Ramphal, who used the opportunity to spread messages of unity and love, was among a vast number of local performers that were paid to perform at the event, which marked the beginning of the political party’s countrywide rally schedule, in the lead up to the March 2 general and regional elections.

Despite being headlined by Trinidadian Soca singer, “Farmer Nappy”, the Friday night event was heavy on local talent and culture, with performances by several leading Guyanese singers in varying genres including Soca, Calypso, Chutney, and Gospel. There were also dances by the National Dance Company, and Indian dances by the “Berbice Delight Chutney Dancers” as well as an Indigenous dance group.

“Mr. Ramphal, like several other popular musical artistes, was a paid performer at the mammoth APNU+AFC Coalition launch on Friday, January 3 at D’Urban Park. The APNU+AFC Coalition thanks him for his performances, and commends him and his team for their unity message which they are promoting. The APNU+AFC Coalition embraces the unity theme, and calls on all Guyanese to do the same,” the APNU+AFC statement said.

In Guyana, politics is considered highly divided along racial lines, with the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) considered the party aligned with the Indian population and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest constituent of the APNU+AFC government considered to be preferred by the African population.

In their statement, APNU+AFC called for all political parties and their supporters to be civil as the entire country prepares for the elections. “The APNU+AFC Coalition condemns the PPP calls for boycott of events promoted by Ramphal, or events at which he is slated to perform. APNU+AFC Coalition condemns violence, bullying and thuggery in all their forms and calls on the leaders of all political parties, particularly the PPP to conduct themselves in a civil manner during the 2020 elections campaign and to refrain from instigating provocation and incitement against the supporters of other parties,” they said.

Ramphal, for his part, said he will continue to do all he can to spread his message of love and unity, with the betterment of his country and his people always first and foremost on his agenda. “I represent Team Unity, Peace and Love. I said it once and gonna say it again, I’m not politically aligned. Before sharing this image, they should have looked at my performance and listen to what I stand for. Instead of dividing people, stand strong and let’s unite. Instead of causing social division, I am asking my real Guyanese people to remain calm. I wanna ask why can’t we all live in love? We need to break the stereotypes and unite! I am a performer; if you need me, contact my management for bookings,” Ramphal responded in a post on Facebook.

He was at the time addressing a circulating picture with himself and President David Granger holding hands on stage last Friday night, with a caption that referred to him as “selling out” among other derogatory remarks.

Ramphal attended Friday’s event decked out in a neutral all-black outfit, and showed that his only alliance was to his performance, his fans, and his country, without any political reference during his performance. Ramphal was not the only Chutney singer at the event, where former Chutney Monarch, Bunty Singh also graced the stage.

Some singers at Friday night’s event unapologetically endorsed APNU+AFC as the party of their choice. However, others, like Ramphal, stayed neutral, and simply focused on the unity aspect of the event. Another picture circulating on the popular social media site called for a boycott of events by the singer. However, Ramphal is using the opportunity to promote his message of unity, and his business, sharing his latest music video for his song “Jo Sangeet Main Gaata”, a number which underscores his message of unity.

In the video, Ramphal performs at several venues, including the recently unveiled “I Love Guyana” sign, the Indian Monument in Berbice, and calls for the tearing down of negative social issues such as “hatred, disharmony, intolerance and racism. “This is the time to stop all the fight. Listen to me, let us all unite. One people, one nation, together we stand, forget about your colour. let us stand hand-in-hand. Thank you to all my amazing supporters, you’ve shown me how united my music can be,” Ramphal also said, as he quoted from the song in another post on his Facebook page.