THE people said it in clear cut tones “we are not voting for the AFC, they have misused our votes.” These words were uttered time and time again to, yours truly, who is a Berbician long before Guyana Times Newspaper or Oscar Ramjeet ever brought this to light. We in Berbice knew this well in advance, the festering hurt of a party that has betrayed the people. They used their votes to team up with the public’s enemy, the PNC/APNU. As one convert to the AFC remarked-to even entertain the idea of that party gaining power “I am going to sell everything and go back to the U.S. even if it means begging for a refugee status.” “I am going back there … it will be the end of Guyana, I cannot trust these people.”
She further explained that all the strides that we’ve made these last 22 years would have gone down the gutter. It means that those gains in education, wages and salaries, in health-care, infrastructure and freedom of speech would come to naught. Right now, I can go into a supermarket and buy anything I want. This will soon end if they take over. And this is the frightening part of her testimony a return of the PNC/APNU means that we would have seen the last election; we must be prepared to say goodbye to free and fair elections. This cannot happen I would move earth and heaven to keep these people out.
Now, these are the words that Ramjattan and Nagamootoo do not want to hear, in fact they have responded by saying that the PPP/C is driving fear into the hearts and minds of the people and playing the race card. But this is furthest from the truth, the PPP/C do not have to forment strife among the people, the people themselves are the best judge. Look at what they say and juxtapose this with the resultant action and it becomes crystal clear what is going on.
You cannot tell me that you can gang-up with the PNC/APNU at every turn voting down developmental schemes that should benefit the people of this country and expect me to vote for you. Outrageous! When you can openly deny young people the right to acquire a loan to obtain a decent tertiary education that takes the cake. By denying the youth the right to a decent education tells the world you are downright callous and heartless and these are the people who want to rule over us? It will not happen. As one person puts if the AFC think we are a dumb set of individuals then think again.
Even if we should take the “race fear of the PNC or the divide and rule tactic of the PPP/C” put forward by the AFC one would find large gaping loopholes in that theory. Statistics from the 2011 election shows that it was the “Indian vote” that made the difference. It was the Indian section of the population that swung their votes in favour of the AFC that made the difference.
History was created in Guyana when devout PPP/C supporters voted for another party causing them to gain 7 seats in Parliament. It dispels the myth that Guyanese only vote along racial lines.
On the other hand the so called Black vote never changed hands from the traditional belief in the PNC, they never changed their vote. So, making out a race argument for the AFC just does not make any sense at all.
What Nagamootoo and Ramjattan are not telling the people is that the people are reacting in a very certain fashion because they have lost confidence in them. And once voters distrust you, you are doomed. The AFC is a doomed party and they know it, no amount of damage control can change their status now.
The PPP/C needs to capitalise on that void created by the AFC, they need to get down to the arduous task of mending fences. One sure way in doing this is fixing the roads in Region 6 like putting lights on the access road on the eastern end of the Berbice Bridge. Install street lights along the Number 19 Road. Another way the PPP/C can reach out to the people is to lower the Berbice toll. I would suggest lowering the toll from $2300 to $2000, a minimal change but nonetheless sends a strong message to the “small man” that you care for them. The rich in their SUV’s and other luxury vehicles should remain the same, they do not travel often and secondly they can afford it. Let the small hire car or taxi driver get some reprieve as he ekes out a living.

NEIL ADAMS