– Luncheon says Government ‘ready to rumble’ in fight against those who want to maintain divides
THE Government has vowed to take the fight to those in the political opposition and other interests bent on maintaining divides among some communities in Guyana.
Reacting sharply to criticism from the main Opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) to President Bharrat Jagdeo’s visit to Buxton last week, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon said it is clear that some are prepared to preserve existing situations.
“The PPP/C Government is not going to accept the permanence of divides among the Guyanese people”, he declared at his weekly post-Cabinet news briefing yesterday.
“To those who would want to rail against our efforts to demolish, remove, undermine these divides, we can say to them `they got a whole lot of railing to do’ because we can promise them that what is happening in the geographic Buxtons of today is being replicated across the length and breadth of this Guyana.”
Luncheon said the detractors can expect many, many more opportunities to engage the media, different intellects in this exercise about trying to justify the government in discharging its mandate in moving to address disparities, improve economic possibilities, livelihoods and ultimately to deal with access to opportunities.
“If they want to fight us down on that ground, then we’re ready to rumble and they will have a good fight on their hands”, he said.
Luncheon argued that the average Guyanese is not bemused by this event and said it “has caused many of us to sit down and ponder precisely what would it take to get a greater buy-in as we focus on communities and needs that must be addressed if this country is going to move forward as one.”
He said the government’s detractors will also have a lot more to say “were they to continue to have that mindset about initiatives of central government akin to the one that led to the President’s presence in Buxton.”
“If they are going to remain in that mindset and they are going to be consumed with that mentality, then I can assure them that they would have lots of other examples and opportunities to exercise their minds in that type of behaviour”, he said.
He added: “It’s clear as day that we have many who are prepared to preserve existing situations, not only in communities beset by negatives and violence, but they are prepared to preserve current situations and they go to extraordinary lengths to justify what exists and they go to even more extraordinary lengths to fight against initiatives to change (and) address what is happening and taking place.”
Luncheon said some are against efforts to address the divide because this distorts their perspectives of the communities and the PPP/C Government would have to “fight down” those who are against its commitments to the economic and other developments of communities that affect their perspectives.
“The strategic outlook is all lost and they become subordinated to maintaining the status quo and to keeping the divides in place”, he charged.
He said Cabinet’s view is that there are going to be many more instances for the detractors to peddle their wares but they are going to be speaking to a small group of converts and people who are infected with this mentality and it is going to be increasingly evident that their efforts will alienate them from the mainstream of Guyanese.
“The Buxton community is just a further example of the challenges in the realm of ideas that we have to overcome for this country to continue to move forward under the PPP/C Government”, he said.

The main Opposition PNCR is upset at President Bharrat Jagdeo’s visit to Buxton last week Wednesday when he received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from residents.
The PNCR on Wednesday issued a second statement coming out against the visit that was organised by a committee of Buxtonians to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the founding of the village.

A PPP/C  source said  the PNCR is behaving like a ‘spoilt child’ with its most treacherous take on President Jagdeo’s visit to Buxton last week.

“It is unimaginable that the PNCR would go after cheap publicity rather than dedicating its energies to the development of the Buxton community. Idle criticisms would not help the residents of Buxton to better their lives and improve their community,” the source contended.
The source was quoted as saying , “The PNCR’s sudden rise out of political impotency is short of what is needed to convince Buxtonians and other Guyanese they are being realistic about today’s Guyana. Jagdeo’s visit to Buxton is just the beginning and the PNCR is closer to ‘pissing its pants’ as the coming days, weeks and months unfold.
The source believes that PNCR statements are ‘completely ridiculous and unfortunately it has gathered a few disgruntled voices to serve its narrow interests.

Most Buxton residents rejected moves by activists of Opposition political parties to organise protests against the visit by Mr. Jagdeo.
Residents overwhelmingly resisted attempts by Opposition elements to persuade them not to attend the meeting at the Buxton High School and to protest, including waving placards, villagers said.
Some noted that the enthusiastic welcome the President received on his arrival showed that Opposition parties that once regarded Buxton as their stronghold were rebuffed in their bid to mount protests.

Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party, in an earlier statement, said it is deeply concerned at the vehemence of the opposition’s reaction to President Jagdeo’s recent visit and meeting in Buxton.

“The wild accusations by leading opposition spokespersons have shown clearly that they have no interest in promoting inter-ethnic understanding and unity among all the people of our country,” the party said in a statement on Tuesday.

“It has demonstrated that all the talk about power sharing by the opposition parties and personalities are fundamentally insincere. What they are more interested in are deals to promote their personal agendas,” chided the PPP.

The PPP said it is surprised that those same forces are once again trying to blame the PPP and government for the criminal seizure of Buxton after the February 23, 2002 jail breaks.

But the party noted that anyone vaguely familiar with Guyana’s political scene and those who have been following developments in that period must know that the only Party that could have encouraged such a takeover of that village by criminals was the PNCR.
“It is clear that the over-whelming welcome that President Jagdeo received is deeply worrying the opposition who are ready to resort to racial appeals to bolster their flagging image and their dwindling support,” the PPP declared.

The party said it will not be deterred by the outbursts. “We will continue to work in every part of Guyana to strengthen the socio-economic conditions of our people. We have always advocated equal rights for all out people and all communities (and) we will not be side tracked in our work to build national unity in our country.”

The PPP is urging all Guyanese to “ignore the doomsayers and let us work unitedly to make our country peaceful, prosperous, united and free.”