“YOU NEED not be intimidated! You should not be intimidated, because if you allow yourself to be intimidated, then every right that you enjoy will be taken away… Do not be intimidated! Remain calm! Do not be fearful! Do not respond in kind; demonstrate to them and to Guyana that the supporters of the PPP/C are people who respect democracy and freedom, and who are peaceful people.”

The foregoing appeal reached the ears of Berbicians after People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) member and a lead organizer of the rally, Dr Ashni Singh, appeared on a televised programme in Berbice, Region 6 (East Berbice/ Corentyne) to condemn last Sunday night’s attack on party supporters.
Several persons, including two children, were injured by missiles thrown by unknown assailants at two vehicles transporting supporters returning from a PPP/C Rally held at Albion on Sunday night. The scurrilous attack occurred on the Corentyne Coast, and information received indicates that the vehicles were bombarded by bottles containing sand, rocks and a corrosive substance.
Dr Singh denounced the dastardly attack as an assault on democracy.
“I wish to say emphatically that this is a dastardly attack. It is an assault on democracy and it is to be condemned in the harshest possible way. There can be no justification. There can be no excuse. There can be no defending this vile act,” he said.
The PPP/C member added that under no circumstances can such acts be condoned.
“In fact, under any circumstance, put aside election, put aside election supporters, put aside election rally; under no circumstances is it justifiable for a person to do this to another person or to a vehicle carrying other people,” he said.

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Dr Singh drew the nexus between Sunday night’s attack and the political Opposition’s history of violence.
“Given the threats and the history of violent behaviour of the Opposition and the opposition’s refusal to accept the outcome of the democratic process, it is an extremely alarming development,” he said.
He cited the 1973 incident where two young Berbicians were killed. Jagan Ramessar, 17, and Bholanauth Parmanand, 25, were shot by soldiers at No. 63 Village, Corentyne, during the 1973 elections, while peacefully protesting the illegal removal of ballot boxes from the place of poll at the end of voting.
Dr Singh said, “This incident at Number 51 Village is so reminiscent of the Ballot Box Martyrs. Mr Granger’s army took the lives of two young Guyanese, two young Berbicians, who were engaged in defending the democratic process, who were engaged in protecting the ballot boxes.
“Mr Granger today has the audacity to call them gangsters and hooligans. These are young Guyanese people engaged in their democratic right; their right to say we support a democratic party.”
He insisted that the Guyanese people have the right to freedom of choice.
“People have a right to support a party of their choice. People have a right of freedom of association. People have a right to attend a political rally and go home in safety,” the PPP/C member stressed.
Echoing sentiments expressed by members of the party’s leadership, the PPP/C member added: “We have already signalled that the Opposition is preparing their supporters to not accept the results of a democratic process, because they see that the writing is on the wall already….without a doubt there is an element of desperation setting in among the leadership and for that reason this incident can only be interpreted as an assault on the democratic process.”
All considered, he saluted the supporters of the ruling party for having braved the incident.
“I will reiterate, I will join with the leadership of the PPP to condemn in the strongest possible terms this vile act, this assault on the democratic process,” Dr Singh concluded.

By Vanessa Narine

‘Given the threats and the history of violent behaviour of the Opposition and the opposition’s refusal to accept the outcome of the democratic process, it is an extremely alarming development’ –Dr Ashni Singh

‘Without a doubt, there is an element of desperation setting in among the leadership and for that reason this incident can only be interpreted as an assault on the democratic process’ – Dr Ashni Singh