…says President Jagdeo
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo last evening implored Berbicians to spread the word and come out strongly on polling day to support PPP/C presidential candidate Donald Ramotar as the next President of Guyana. He spoke at the launch of the PPP/C elections 2011 campaign at Albion on the Corentyne, Berbice
“We have to make sure that the day after elections, when the votes are counted, that we don’t regret what happened, and it means every single one out…you have to get everyone out. Forget this thing that ‘we win already’. You have to make sure. Elections are won only when the ballots are counted. Elections are won when each vote is cast, because each vote in our country matters. Your friends, your family, everyone must be out there. This is how we win. This is how we will continue to serve Guyana,” Jagdeo said.
The President also urged Berbicians to talk to younger persons about how far the country has come as they may gain an appreciation for the struggle that the PPP has undertaken over the years.
“Comrades, we live in a wonderful country; and here at Albion, when I see all of these beautiful faces, people of all races coming together in this manner, full of energy, because they are confident of the future, it fills my heart and I feel proud of what is happening here today. I know you all feel that pride in your hearts because you belong to a party that has kept faith with the people of this land, a party that can point to a track record of achievement, of struggle in favour of enhancing rights in this land, and you should be extremely proud of that,” he said.
He said that at one time, the mere fact of wanting to eat what one wanted was against the law, with the banning of a number of food items. “Our rights were snatched away from us when we did not have the right to choose a government; it meant more than just the theft of the ballot paper. It meant that we did not matter in this land,” he said.
“Today, we matter…every one of you matters, because you have the right to vote and select a government and I know that you are going to put the PPP back in office because you have that right,” he said. He urged the people of Berbice to never forget how the populace won back that right.
“Never forget that the right was won through sacrifices, through sweat and blood of people, and this is why I ask you today to reflect on the legacy and the vision of Cheddi Jagan, and what this party stood for when it was formed in 1950. It is important that you know a bit of our history, that this party cut its teeth in struggle… to bring freedom to people of all races, but who were second class citizens in our own country,” Jagdeo said.
“Comrades, I take pride when I say that we have taken Guyana from a bankrupt country and made it the most dynamic vibrant economy in the Caribbean,” he said, adding that when the entire world has gone in to depression, Guyana saw five years of continuous growth.
“Today we have the highest level of international reserves ever. We spent the most that we have ever done on education, healthcare and housing, on water and electricity, because these are important to our people. We have done so and at the same time reduced the fiscal deficit,” he said, adding that because of the policies of the government, interest rates have come down significantly.
Noting that many of the younger people would not remember the days of the previous administration, he said, “Your task today, leaving this rally, is not just to get the hype here, feel good here, and go back home and sit down. You are part of a party of struggle. Make sure you inform the young ones. Energise them the same way,” he said.
He spoke of the critics of the government who use newspapers and television stations to keep the government on their toes and ensure transparency. “Beware of where these people are coming from,” he said.
Jagdeo said that government has made numerous investments in Berbice and these are way above the tax base of the county. “A lot of them like to say that we take more taxes than we invest in Berbice, which is absolute nonsense. You travel the landscape of Berbice and you would see the roads and the Skeldon Factory and the Berbice Bridge” he said. “These three investments are equivalent to about 15 years of taxes that we collect in Berbice,” the president said. “Berbice gets its fair share not because Berbice supports the PPP, but because Berbice is an important part of Guyana too,” he said.
He said that people want to vote for the PPP, not because “we feel that the party has a divine right to power” but because “we have worked hard in the interest of people to secure their confidence, to say that their health and their children’s education matter,” he said.
Attacking the track record of David Granger, the presidential candidate of A Partnership for National Unity, Jagdeo said that he was in the army when the eventual ballot box martyrs fought for their rights. “He was part of that era. He was [also] part of the era when the economic decline took place, when US$300 M was spent in the jungle for hydro power and left there to rot, not like the way we are doing it now, in spite of the nonsense that Kaieteur News says. It is going to be a reality under the PPP government,” he said.
“If you listen to his speeches, all he talks about is going back to the past. He never talks about the future, about ICT, he doesn’t speak about an environmental sector, or about the new economy, the new forms of generating wealth for the kids who do not want to work in the rice field or cane fields anymore,” he said. “He goes back to national service. That is his solution to the country. You tell me, do you want that future for your children?” he asked.
The president said that people with their mixed messages are trying to capitalise on the fears of the past, accusing the Alliance for Change of doing this on many occasions. “This country does not have a future if it is going to approach that future in a divided way” he said. “And this is why the PPP is the only party that seeks consistently to bring people together. All of our policies are based on all of our people moving together forward. This is the only way that this country will realise its true promise,” he said.
The president said that Ramotar comes from a party that has consistently stood on the side of people. He noted that Ramotar joined the party at a young age and has been part of the struggle with Cheddi and Janet Jagan. Jagdeo described Ramotar as a humble person, one who is open to new ideas. “This is the leader we want,” declared Jagdeo.