–Dr Jagdeo shuts down race-baiting, divisive tactics, calls out PNC/R for sudden shift to endorse Norton despite internal mudslinging

While branding the Opposition as “desperate,” General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo highlighted their efforts to derail the country’s progress by focusing on peripheral issues and pushing inflammatory politics.

During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, the General Secretary discussed the aforementioned issue and the internal divisions within the Opposition that are spilling into public view despite their efforts to project an image of cohesion.

Dr. Jagdeo initially highlighted how the Opposition is resorting to divisive and race-baiting tactics, distracting the public with minor issues to divert attention from more pressing matters.

In response, the General Secretary emphasized that his weekly press conferences serve not only to reject such tactics but also to refocus the public’s attention on key issues. These include housing, education, healthcare, and more. According to the General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice President, these sectors, along with others, have seen positive advancements.

While the government remains open to constructive criticism, Dr. Jagdeo, who is also the country’s Vice President, pointed out that some individuals are positioning themselves as above reproach, despite their actions or statements being subject to scrutiny.

“So, we have in this country a lot of nuisance parties without any consequences. They don’t lose any money. They just can come up one day and incorporate as a party,” the Vice President said as he criticized the Opposition for attempting to carry out an ethnic count through their call for a census.

He recalled that from the beginning of his political career, this has always been the Opposition’s approach. Offering insight into their mindset, he explained that the Opposition has consistently believed that, with the alleged decline in the Indo-Guyanese population, they would secure electoral victory.

“For them, it’s just about race. But we have shown over the years that we have won the elections. We won the elections in spite of a declining Indo-Guyanese population. And that’s because of our national politics,” Dr Jagdeo stated.

The Vice President stated that the governing PPP/C has won elections because of their genuine care for the people of Guyana, despite ongoing efforts to undermine their mission of uniting the country for a better future. He firmly asserted that while the Opposition is once again resorting to race-baiting and divisive tactics to sway the public, these efforts will ultimately fail.

He said, “They’re going to be very, very disappointed because in our ranks we have Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese, Amerindian, Guyanese people of mixed descent, everyone, Portuguese, Chinese. That’s how we operate versus the ethnic enclaves that the other parties have become and that’s not sustainable.”

The Vice President then said, “Our party won the elections when all the odds were stacked against us in 2020, and it has grown immeasurably since, and we have delivered on our promises.”

While the previous A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration had taken away the “Because We Care” grant and did not make major investments in areas such as infrastructure, Dr Jagdeo said that the PPP/C returned these initiatives and even increased them while going beyond their manifesto promises.

DISJOINTED

Despite their efforts to project a united front, the opposition’s attempts to present cohesion are unravelling, given the internal mudslinging, the Vice President noted. He explained that the fractured structure and previous rivalry for control, have left many questions regarding their credibility unanswered as the next election looms.

A recent example of this is Roysdale Forde, a member of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), who told a media outlet that he expects a “united” party heading into the elections. This statement has raised eyebrows, especially since Forde has previously spoken out about significant electoral irregularities during the party’s internal congress, which led to his decision to withdraw.

As the Vice President pointed out, this sudden shift from conflict to calm serves to downplay the real issues within the party and reduces accountability for the underlying problems.

“So, I mean, this is not like somebody who was critical of them. He was an insider. It’s not like somebody who was on the other side and came to a party…This was an insider,” Dr Jagdeo said.

While highlighting other discrepancies, Dr Jagdeo said, “So, when it talked about this so-called unity and there is no major problem, there is a major problem now because this is on record.”

Last year, following weeks of infighting, both Amanza Walton-Desir and Forde, who were in the race to become the next leader of the PNC/R suspended their campaigns, after citing irregularities in the electoral process.

During the congress, several members did not support the leader, Aubrey Norton alleging that he has a mountain of infractions. One of the allegations involved former PNC-R Treasurer Faaiz Mursaline, who claimed that upon assuming the role of elected treasurer, he was instructed to sign blank cheques without any supporting documentation. In November 2022, he signed as many as 20 blank cheques.

When Mursaline requested an audit of the party’s finances, he suggested that it be conducted by current party executive member and Member of Parliament, Volda Lawrence. However, this request was rejected by Norton.

Additionally, there was the case of Geeta Chandan-Edmond, who was reportedly forced to resign as PNC-R General Secretary. Sources familiar with the situation told the Guyana Chronicle that Chandan-Edmond stepped down after growing frustrations over being unable to fully perform her duties in the role. It was noted that she had “endured” a great deal before ultimately resigning.