Amid a rousing reception from thousands assembled at Kitty, Georgetown, former President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo issued a stirring appeal to the electorate to beware of the ‘dictators in disguise’ in the Opposition camp, who come to them as ‘angels of development’, pleading for their votes.Speaking at the launch of the party’s campaign yesterday, and more directly to the youths who were in the vast majority at the crowd, Dr Jagdeo warned that the combined Opposition must not be trusted, while contending A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Leader David Granger has put a Prime Minister comforter in Moses Nagamootoo’s mouth. He pointed out that even with insurmountable evidence, Granger still vehemently denies that the People’s National Congress (PNC) rigged elections to stay in office, and Nagamootoo, a former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Executive, has chosen to forget what happened.
The former President told the massive gathering that Granger’s denial is indicative of the – of the PNC, and how they regard freedom of the people and what they will do if entrusted with power.
“If a man who seeks that high office in 2015 can say elections were never rigged in , then three things we can discern about him: he lacks the decency to admit the truth; he is unrepentant about the past or he is delusional,” Dr Jagdeo said, emphasising that this is not the kind of material to ensure the continued growth of development of Guyana, to deafening cheers and applause.
Nature of the beast
He said when the rights of Guyanese were trampled upon, Granger denied it, and will do so again if elected.
This, he said, is not what the country wants, as it will do no good for the future of young people and of the country. They are people who find comfort in putting the people at discomfort, the former President said.
Dr Jagdeo, expounding on the nature of Granger and the PNC, said since three years ago, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been preparing a new voters list, which entails several cycles of registration, claims and objections.
But the combined Opposition, the APNU and the AFC, bellowed that the ruling party is scared of election, claiming that this is the reason they are raising concerns about the list.
The former President said, like all the other falsehoods peddled against the PPP, the party stayed calm and worked through it.
But he pointed out that about a week ago, Granger, for the first time after three years, is now saying that the list is flawed.
“And you know why he is saying this, because he has seen the PPP juggernaut being mobilised, he has seen us marching now, for three years we have taken their abuse and we have stayed quiet and they think we are cowardly because we have stayed quiet. For three years, they have harassed our Government, they have done everything to sabotage progress and we have stayed quiet. Well, we shall be quiet no longer! We shall be quiet no longer!” an emotional Jagdeo said.
They shivering
He said they have seen the might of the PPP family, focused and mobilised, and it rent their hearts and sent shivers up their spines.
“All the big talk that they had, telling their base that they gonna win the elections outright, suddenly they have doubts, and because they have doubts, they are preparing, they are talking about the list again, because three elections in the past, they have used the list to create violence in this country,” Dr Jagdeo said.
He told the colourful but sober gathering that “we have to guard again this”, saying that these are not the days of the past “when we take violence sitting down”.
He said the Government has seen what the Opposition can do, recalling that AFC Executive, now Granger’s deputy in the APNU+AFC Alliance Moses Nagamootoo, and AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes at one time gave President Donald Ramotar, an elected President, an ultimatum to remove Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee or face the consequences.
But Ramotar ignored them, and they wasted no time to show their true colours.
“By the next afternoon, thugs were mobilised and we had Agricola, they break the roads, beat up people, women couldn’t pass there who live on the East Bank, people couldn’t go back home… women were pulled out of vehicles and harassed, and guess what? They have the capacity to do this. Nagamootoo does not speak about that because his and Nigel Hughes’ ultimatum had triggered what happened in Agricola and they are counting on us having short memories,” Dr Jagdeo said.
He pointed out that since 1992, all elections violence has been triggered by the Opposition, contending that it is the nature of the PNC and it has not changed.
Criminal in purpose
He said the PNC has always been highly militaristic, criminal in purpose and sees nothing wrong in using violence to achieve its objectives.
The former President told the gathering that when they vote on May 11, they must think about the future, underscoring that their support for the PPP is a support for the fight to prevent the dark past from coming to life again, one where people use power at will and with impunity.
He said he is for the cause of the PPP, which is a cause for a brighter future for all Guyanese, and will not give a hoot to AFC Leader Raphael Trotman, who advised him to stay out of the elections race.
They will not be allowed to perpetuate their falsehoods and distortions, Dr Jagdeo said, to resounding applause.
“Let me tell Trotman something, I will be part of the race, I am supporting the People’s Progressive Party, I will put every bit of energy and strength that I have in my body to make sure that Ramotar remains the President of our country and Elisabeth Harper becomes the Prime Minister,” he said, but made it clear that he does not want a position in the Government, since with the two at the helm, the future of the country will be safe and secure.
Nagamootoo
But he warned them about Nagamootoo.
“Let me tell you what Granger has done with Nagamootoo; he has put a Prime Ministerial comforter in his mouth, and so while he is sucking on this potential Prime Ministerial comforter, he has forgotten the violence of the PNC elections, he has forgotten that the elections were rigged,” the former President said.
He said Nagamootoo is so far gone that he has even denied that he is an Indian, but yet he is promising to give Granger 11 per cent of Indian votes for Granger’s PNC to win the elections.
“This is not about being Indian, it’s not about being Afro Guyanese, it’s not about being Amerindian or any other race, it is about the future of Guyana,” he stressed, urging the electorate to make sure that Nagamootoo does gain from his narrow political advocacy.
Dr Jagdeo said too that in spite of the Opposition’s vicious charges of corruption, the PPP stands with its head held high because it can compete on its history and its record. The Opposition, he said, would never recognise this, so too some media houses.
He also said that the PPP has always fought for national unity, noting that national unity cannot be achieved through vindictiveness and parochial politics.
“National unity doesn’t come about because you take two rejects from the PPP and put them on a platform; national unity can’t come about if you cut $80 billion from the budget; national unity can’t come about if you sabotage the Amaila Falls which will bring cheaper electricity to the people; national unity cannot come about if you cut funding for University of Guyana students when you promise free education; national unity can’t come about if you do not want to support the sugar industry when it is in crisis…national unity can’t come about if you do not want to support the rice industry; national unity can’t come about if you use every opportunity to see race in everything… national unity can only come about if you respect people, people of all races, you respect their religion and I dare say only one party can do that, that is the People’s Progressive Party,” he said to rousing cheers, adding: “Not Nagamootoo or any of the others.”