THE haemorrhaging of support from the mining town of Linden continues for the opposition People’s Progressive Party with three card-bearing members tendering their resignations from that party and related that the courage to do so, sprung from seeing other executive members doing the same thing.
The members shared the same sentiment that they are tired of the cliquism culture of the party and the only thing they have received for their years of service is criticism and condemnation. Speaking out is long-standing member Jason Bourne, one of the last three to have tendered their resignations.
Bourne said that he finally got the courage to do so and has no regrets. He said that he has experienced being sidelined because he is not part of the clique and realises that this culture in the party will not change. “The PPP only pushes persons who push a certain type of people, who are part of their system for years, there is no space for youths,” he said. After giving the party 10 years of service, he said that there is nothing to look back at and has made a decision not to continue down that line.
Bourne has since joined the Guyana Action Party (GAP), which is a smaller arm of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and within the short period of time, he said, he has already seen action and is happy to be part of a movement that puts the interest of its constituency first and not its selected members. “It is a small party, I have already seen action, they have delivered to the people; they have already assisted many persons with a start in their business and this does not require no long application for grants or so and I am pleased with what I am seeing,” he said.
Bourne said that he is aware of many members of the PPP who are not satisfied with the treatment they are receiving but are afraid of being persecuted or discriminated against for resigning. He is urging them to make the bold step and resign and join a movement that is for the people. The GAP will be officially launching its executive body in Linden soon, as over the weeks, its support base has widened. Since 2019, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock, who is one of the founders of GAP, has already made donations to residents of Linden in an effort to maximise their potential in farming, a promise that was never fulfilled by the PPP.
Bourne, as well as other former PPP Region 10 executive members such as Kevon Lorrimor, said that while they are supporting GAP, their support is by extension for the entire coalition government. Lorrimor, who assisted the others with their resignation letters, said that he is happy that like him and Akanni Blair, others are wiping the veil off of their eyes and seeing the PPP for what it truly is– a blatant disrespect to the people.
“The PPP party is a full dictatorship, a lot of young people in the party cannot rise above the selected members, I want to ask them, look at what they have benefited for their community or for their cause since joining the party, it would be nothing but criticism; the PPP doesn’t give you anything, they just take from you. I hope that others open their eyes and see,” he said.
