–Jagdeo highlights; says party is trying to ‘recreate’ image but has long lost its credibility

DESPITE attempts by the Alliance For Change (AFC) to recreate its image, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo has seen through this “façade” and called out the party for its “lack of credibility” and “poor” track record.

Jagdeo, during a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, said the recent actions by AFC to portray itself differently is just part of a “show.”

“The AFC has long lost credibility,” the PPP General Secretary said, adding that although the party promised to change Guyana’s political sphere, its brief stint in office proved otherwise.

Jagdeo further said: “The AFC turned out to be the most unprincipled set of leaders we’ve ever seen… They were more vocal than some PNC persons in trying to rig the elections.”

The people, in 2020, went to the polls and peacefully gave a mandate to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to govern.

Guyanese, after casting their votes, had to endure a five-month wait for the results of the General and Regional Elections as they witnessed suspicious and questionable acts and a slew of legal challenges.

During this time, the patience of the electorate was tested, as electors observed what was described as attempts by the then A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)+AFC administration to rip the democratic fabric of the nation, with “delay tactics” which were openly criticised by a wide section of society.

It was only after the legal challenges and international intervention that a national recount of all votes cast was convened and the figures showed that PPP/C received 233,336 votes, while the APNU+AFC Coalition got 217,920 votes.

Continuing to reflect on the actions of the AFC while it was in office with APNU from 2015-2020, Jagdeo highlighted that thousands of sugar workers were terminated under the coalition government.

He related: “The AFC got a lot of sugar workers votes and when 7,000 sugar workers were sent home, when they got zero salary increase in five years, Ramjattan and Nagamootoo justified this.”
In 2017, the former APNU+AFC Coalition Government had announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country, leaving thousands of persons without jobs or sources of income. The move saw four sugar estates being closed and over 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.

Jagdeo also addressed AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan’s supposed condemnation of the recent reckless statements made by former PNC-R General Secretary, Georgetown Mayor and Prime Minister, Hamilton Green, noting: “This disassociation from what Hamilton Green said is just part of a show.”

He went on to say: “They’re hoping they can recreate that independent identity because they were submerged in this cesspool called APNU+AFC governance… they don’t have a separate existence; they’re just trying to create the impression.”