— Jagdeo tells party’s 31st Delegates Congress

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) 31st Delegates and Observer Congress opened on

Saturday with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo issuing a clarion call for reform of the party as it sets sights on regaining power in 2020.

Addressing a packed, but a bit lacklustre gathering at Cotton Field Secondary School, Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, the former President said alleged electoral discrepancies apart, other factors led to the PPP losing office in the May 2015 general and regional elections.
The electoral defeat ended the PPP’s 23-year reign. While Mr Jagdeo did not delve into or even mention the ‘other’ factors for the PPP’s electoral loss, it has been widely proffered that it was precipitated allegedly by widespread complacency, corruption, cronyism and nepotism.

He told the congress, the first since the party lost office less than two years ago, that Guyana has to steadfastly abide by its founding principles, which is to exclude no one based on their race, religion or gender. And on that note, in a militant tone, he declared, “We will be taking our campaign to our traditional supporters,” as well as [to] “those [who] did not support us,” to loud applause.

Mr Jagdeo, who energised the gathering in his speech, said the message of the PPP will be taken far and wide, to every street, every village and every community.

BROAD-MINDED
“We have to be an Opposition for Guyana, not only for the PPP. We have to create space for those who did not support us, we have to be broad-minded and have a sympathetic ear to all suffering Guyanese,” he said, contending that the party needs to decentralise its operations.
This approach, the former President said, would be useful in helping the PPP to regain power from the current Government, which he deems “bereft of ideas” and “totally incapable of leading Guyana.”

The journey to be in power again, he said, begins at congress, and the party will “work day in” and “day out” to achieve this goal, regardless of attacks and persecution. Trials, discrimination and attacks, he said, are not strange to the PPP, and it has never lost hope, as he praised Dr Cheddi Jagan, the founding leader of the party for his inspiration and leadership.

The Opposition Leader said the struggle continues today, and against the Government which has instituted more taxes and would be borrowing more, with little hope of any significant financial returns. The Government has defended the implementation of the suite of new taxes, contending that it is necessary to raise money to improve the services it provides to citizens.
But according to Jagdeo, the across-the-board taxing of women, vendors, the rich and the poor is imprudent and reflects little or no empathy from the “governing cabal.”

‘THEY MISS US’
“In 19 months, people have started to miss us badly, our supporters miss us and their supporters miss us too,” he said, stressing that the PPP has to be united and use the opportunity while in Opposition to strengthen itself. The former President also told the gathering that whenever the PPP is in power, Guyana always experiences progress, and as such, it is proud of its track record.

For the 19 months the Government has been in power, he noted that progress has slowed, reflecting the opposite of what they had promised on the 2015 campaign trail. Mr Jagdeo went on to claim that so far under the current Government, no new investor has come to Guyana and over 10,000 Guyanese lost their jobs, even though he did not elaborate on this assertion.
He also warned about a secret plan by Government to sell out GuySuCo, which began to decline during his presidency. Earlier, Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) Leader Irfaan Ali welcomed the delegates, drawn from the 10 administrative regions, and said the youth arm of the PPP is prepared and looks forward to reforming and re-energising the party in the next three years.

In the next three years the PYO, he said, will be partnering with every like-minded youth organisation, seek to broaden its membership, rebuild party groups at district and community levels, fight youth discrimination, create widespread awareness of abuse, create safe houses to tackle suicide and domestic violence, provide extra lessons to help underprivileged students and slow learners and prepare for every struggle and battle ahead.
“We will stand side by side of the people to grind oppression to the dust,” he said to a loud round of applause.

‘FIGHTING’ NOT ‘FRIGHTENED’
PPP General-Secretary Clement Rohee, who spoke after him, wasted no time in reminding the delegates that the PPP is a “fighting” and not “frightened” party and will mobilise to give the APNU+AFC just a single term in office.
During the PPP’s tenure in office, he said all benefitted from the overflowing cup of the PPP, and all must be mobilised to restore the benefits in 2020. The party’s union representative, Komal Chand, lamented the state of the sugar industry and the closure of the Wales Estate, which he said will add to the unemployment woes of the country.

But Government had said that some of the workers will be integrated into the Uitvlugt Estate, while others received over $80M in severance pay.
Indra Chandarpal, of the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) in a brief address, emphasised the need for honest and fair party leaders, and persons who put the party above personal interest.

This, she said, is also important in helping the PPP to win back power in 2020, and urged all members to use social media to spread the PPP’s message, build support and unite the party. Dharamkumar Seeraj, another PPP Member of Parliament (MP), also addressed the 31st congress held under the theme, “Strengthening the party, defend democracy, onward to victory”.