–Dr Jagdeo critisises APNU’s big-spending pledges
–says party’s waning support a result of Guyanese distancing themselves from dismal track record, lack of vision

THE A Partnership for the National Unity’s (APNU) unapologetic embracing of its legacy of disastrous policies and the continuous peddling of hollow promises are among the reasons for the low turnout at its campaign launch last Sunday, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

 

During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Dr Jagdeo pointed out that despite APNU’s efforts to ‘bus’ in supporters from across the country, the poor turnout shows the party’s waning influence.

 

Central to the dismal turnout is the APNU Leader Aubrey Norton’s failure to distance himself from the APNU+AFC coalition’s tenure in office, which is marred by economic and social regression, he pointed out.

 

Job losses, increased taxation and cuts to critical social programmes  defined APNU+AFC’s tenure. Yet Norton remains unapologetically proud of that legacy, the General Secretary noted.

 

Dr. Jagdeo said: “…He didn’t distance himself from them, betraying young people; he’s making excuses for it. He didn’t distance himself from the policies that led to the loss of thousands of jobs after promising young people and others jobs. He didn’t distance himself from them taking away the children’s grant or increasing taxation… He embraced it.”

 

The PPP General Secretary also highlighted how even core APNU supporters remember the economic hardship they endured under the APNU+AFC administration.

 

Further, he called out Norton for continuing to mislead supporters by not admitting that the APNU+AFC lost the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

A Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the events of that day found that there was collusion and collaboration between senior Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials to divert votes to the APNU+AFC instead of safeguarding and preserving the integrity of the electoral system.

The Guyanese electorate after casting votes on March 2, 2020, endured a five-month wait for the results as they witnessed alleged unlawful acts and a slew of legal challenges.

 

DISCONNECTED WITH REALITY

The APNU’s campaign launch was also marred by contradicting presentations, Dr. Jagdeo said, referencing APNU’s Leon Saul’s plans to torch one of Guyana’s most defining industries—sugar.

 

Saul’s latest pitch for APNU raises  eyebrows since the party, while in office from 2015-2020, had shuttered four sugar estates, resulting in over 7,000 sugar workers being put on the breadline.

 

Saul’s statements cannot be dealt with in isolation as Norton, during a press conference last week Friday, did not close the door on legalising cannabis.

 

“Sugar done, hemp and cannabis in,” Saul said, as he dismissed Guyana’s oil achievements, claiming cannabis oil would yield greater national benefits.

 

Behind closed doors, Dr Jagdeo said that APNU has already decided to abandon the sugar industry, but will not openly say it because they know it will cost them.

 

“So that’s what we got from the rally, a lot of extravagant promises that are unsustainable,” he said.

 

HOLLOW RHETORIC, UNSUSTAINABLE PROMISES

Meanwhile, Dr Jagdeo slammed the opposition’s extravagant promises, including Dr David Hinds’ proposal of a direct cash transfer of $1 million to every Guyanese citizen.

 

APNU, during its campaign launch outlined a proposal that would see 58 per cent of the 2025 national budget being spent on direct cash transfers, thereby completely removing public sector investment in critical sectors such as health, education, housing and infrastructure.

 

If there are 600,000 citizens, for instance, the $1 million proposal alone would require $600 billion annually, more than the current oil earnings, Dr Jagdeo said.

The General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President used the opportunity to rubbish APNU’s Ganesh Mahipaul’s comment that Guyana is earning enough money from oil production to cover the big-money promises.

 

“All of these are possible because we have more [oil production vessels] coming on stream..,” Mahipaul told the supporters gathered at the rally.

 

“So, what if oil prices fall say next year or this year? What are they going to do if you base all the implementation of all your promises only on oil money? So what happens when it goes?” Dr Jagdeo asked.

 

Unlike the APNU, he said the PPP grounds its pledges in economic feasibility.

 

“We are going to be generous, but smart about managing the resources and it has to be sustainable,” he emphasised.