“ANYONE from our party (People’s Progressive Party/Civic) who uses that sort of language (racially divisive), we will kick them out. This is our approach.”

That’s was the commitment of former president and PPP/C Executive, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

And Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, made it clear that substantiated reports of any such acts would be the subject of review, and action would be taken in this respect by the ruling party.

CALLED OUT
Luncheon’s reaffirmation of Dr. Jagdeo’s pledge came on Friday during a news conference held at the Office of the President, after he was questioned on his rationale in calling out the Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) for concluding that comments made by Jagdeo himself on March 8 were “racially divisive.”

On the day in question, at an event at Babu Jaan last month, Dr. Jagdeo had said: “They shout about racism of the PPP, but they practice racism. They whisper campaigns. In the last elections, they went to some of the Afro-Guyanese villages and beat some drums at 6 O’clock in the morning and say ‘let us throw out these coolie people. Get up, go out and vote; throw out the coolie

people!’ That’s the kind of language they use.

“Anybody from our party who uses that sort of language, we will kick them out. This is our approach.”

Dr. Luncheon maintained that, all considered, Dr. Jagdeo was at the time stressing that there is no place for divisions in the Guyanese society along racial lines; and, in doing so, he had pointed to an example of what was done during the 2011 General and Regional Elections –as reflected in the controversial comment.

Consequently, he reiterated that the commitment given by Dr. Jagdeo stands.

“What the former president said is that when you transgress the rules on politically correct behaviour, particularly in the context of elections…, your place in the People’s Progressive Party is not assured. I would concur with the sentiments he (Dr. Jagdeo) sought to create, that such kinds of behaviour is unacceptable,” Dr. Luncheon said.

PRODUCE THE EVIDENCE
The somewhat ‘grand terms’ by the HPS were met by queries on noted ‘transgressions’ on the popular social media site Facebook by Ms. Rima Rohee, the daughter of Party General Secretary Clement Rohee.

Dr. Luncheon said, “The data, the information, with the facts that you apparently have, I think representation can be made; and, if sustained, you should be satisfied that the full action of the People’s Progressive Party could be brought against the errant comrade.”

He added, “The facts, I don’t believe you would think that it would take an allegation by someone — even a member of the media — to be the basis for the implementation of those disciplinary procedures against errant party members. It is the supply and the provision of the facts of the matter (that count in this regard).”

The HPS was emphatic that the rules of the PPP apply to every party member.

‘The data, the information, with the facts that you apparently have, I think representation can be made; and, if sustained, you should be satisfied that the full action of the People’s Progressive Party could be brought against the errant comrade.’ – HPS Dr. Roger Luncheon

By Vanessa Narine