…President seeks bigger majority for coalition in Demerara
…tells massive crowd at Golden Grove rally to reject PPP lies, corruption

TELLING Guyanese to resist crime, corruption, deception and underdevelopment, President David Granger, in an electrifying address to the people of East Coast of Demerara (ECD), urged Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) to ensure that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition secures a landslide victory come March 2.
“If we win this region convincingly, we win the whole election,” President Granger told thousands of APNU+AFC supporters, who were decked out in the colours of the coalition at a rally held at Golden Grove Community Centre Ground on Friday.

Amid loud chants of ‘Granger! Granger!,’ the President, who is seeking re-election to office, explained that Region Four, though geographically small, has the largest population within the country, with four in every 10 Guyanese living in the region. “This is a battlefield region and we have to win the battle right here on the East Coast, right here in Demerara. This is a battle that we must win!” he declared with residents signalling their strong support for the APNU+AFC coalition.

He said the APNU+AFC Coalition has won many battles since bringing an end to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) 23-year reign in office in May, 2015 but there is a greater battle to be won on March 2 when more than 600,000 Guyanese are expected to vote in the General and Regional Elections. “We won the battle against the phantom squad; we won the battle against the greatest flood in your lifetime – the floods of 2005; we won the battle against dividing the villages into ‘red’ villages and ‘green’ villages; we won the battle against the troubles between 2000 and 2010 but tonight, my comrades, we have to win the battle of numbers,” President Granger told the multitude of supporters.

BIGGER TURN OUT
Justifying his call, the President explained that in 2015 only 75 per cent of the voting population in the Demerara-Mahaica Region went to the polls, with the APNU+AFC coalition securing 61 per cent of the votes, and the PPP/C 39 per cent. “The problem I face tonight is that 25 per cent of this region was absent without leave…This time, let us not make a mistake, I don’t want 75 per cent of the people to turn up, I want 80 and 85 per cent of the people of this region. If we get that mobilisation, we win country,” President Granger reasoned.

He urged residents of the region to mobilise and throw their support, overwhelmingly, behind the coalition – a group of parties that seek to unite the people of Guyana and foster transformational development within country.

FOSTERING DEVELOPMENT
In response to the needs of the people of the country, the Head of State said upon entering office in 2015, his administration took decisive actions to foster developments at the local, regional and national levels, with emphasis on education, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, infrastructural development and public service.

The Guyana National Service, he pointed out, was abolished under the PPP/C Administration, and in an effort to fill the void, his Administration established the National Youth Corps to cater to the employment needs of young people. In moving forward, the President Granger assured that the APNU+AFC Coalition will deliver on its promise of providing free education from nursery to university.

In an effort to increase employment opportunities at the community level, the APNU+AFC Administration established programmes such as the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED), and Guyanese, in particular women, are capitalising on these initiatives the President reported.

Citing an example, he shared that during the initial stages of SLED, a young lady who had attended the New Opportunity Corps, turned her life around into a business woman, having capitalised on the programme.

PUBLIC SECTOR
Turning his attention to the public sector, the President pointed out that since his administration took office, public servants in Guyana have experienced a 70 per cent increase in their wages and salaries. The minimum wage of public servants and teachers increased by over 70 per cent, or from $ 39,400 to $ 70,000. In 2019, the government granted a nine percent increase to public servants on the lower salary tiers. Corporations have also benefitted from the reduction of the corporate tax rate for manufacturing and non-commercial companies from 30 per cent to 27.5 per cent. The value-added tax (VAT) was reduced to 14 per cent and the VAT threshold was increased from $10M to $15M.
Pensioners, President Granger told the multitude of supporters, were not forgotten, pointing out that they too experienced increases with the Old Age Pension jumping from $7,500 to over 20,000.

MONUMENTS OF DEATHS
Describing the Opposition Leader as “Pharaoh,” President Granger urged the people to fear not.

The Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP/C, having lost the 2015, has resorted to attacks on the President. Most recent attacks focused on his health, age and a property handed down to him by his brother. But the attacks come at a time when Cuban Specialists have given the President a ‘clean bill of health.’ And while they have criticised him due to his age, President Granger made it clear that he is ‘fit and proper,’ while positing that never in history was he subjected to questioning by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for questionable acquisition of lands or for using the State’s official letterhead for the acquisition of sensitive surveillance equipment for “crooks and bandits.”

He said the PPP/C has as its legacy 1,431 murders. These murders, the President said, occurred under the PPP/C Administration between 2000 and 2010 – a period often times described by him as “The Troubles.” Among those killed were Minister of Agriculture, Satyadeow Sawh, but the PPP/C never launched a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the murder. “Do you want the Pharaoh to return to power,” he questioned, with supporters responding with a resounding no.

EMPOWERING WOMEN, YOUTHS
Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, who was among the night’s speakers, reiterated his support for President Granger’s return to office.

“Comrades I know this man! Included in his vision was making Guyana an educated nation and the inclusion of youths in all facets of decision making. Through the establishment of the Guyana Youth Corps, the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) and the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) initiatives, he has promoted entrepreneurship, education and empowerment amongst youth,” Minister Williams told the cheering supporters. Added to that, the Head of State provided ‘David G’ buses, boats, bicycles, bags, books and breakfast, he pointed out.

Forming part of the President’s vision is a plan to bridge the gap between the Coastland and Hinterland, the Attorney General said. In keeping with this vision, the APNU+AFC Government established four new towns – Bartica, Lethem, Mabaruma, and Mahdia. “These towns have taken on a life of their own, delivering rapid services and transforming the lives of people,” the Attorney General reported. Added to that, he established a Department of Social Cohesion in its quest to build a cohesive society.

“His vision for Guyana also includes Guyana transitioning to a ‘green’ economy to ensure our sustainable development and proper management of our resources for all Guyanese and future generations,” Minister Williams further pointed out even as he alluded to the Green State Development Strategy Vision: 2040 and the Decade of Development.

Like the President, he called on Guyanese to give the APNU+AFC Coalition their overwhelming support come March 2. Minister of Public Security and Prime Ministerial Candidate of the APNU+AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence; Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley; Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes and Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton were among the officials present.