-Dr Jagdeo says in appeal to voters; frames PPP/C as only party with a vision for country, credible track record

GUYANA’s future cannot be left to chance, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo told the nation on Thursday, as voters prepare to head to the polls this Monday.

 

Framing the PPP/C as the only political party that can continue to guide Guyana upwards on its development trajectory, Dr Jagdeo appealed to voters of all ages, especially first-time voters at his final press conference before General and Regional Elections are held on September 1.

 

He said: “We have a great deal of credibility going into these elections unlike other political parties, because we have delivered on every promise we made. We go into these elections as the party that has the greatest capability of putting together sustainable plans and implementing those plans and that requires capable, trusted, experienced leadership and our party stands ahead of all the other competitors in that regard.”

 

The General Secretary firmly stated that the PPP will win the upcoming elections and with a “handsome majority,” explaining that it is not arrogance. He noted that citizens have recognised the hard work that the PPP has put in since assuming office in 2020.

 

Dr. Jagdeo had also issued a direct appeal to those young Guyanese who will be voting for the first time on Monday.

 

Pointing to the United States (U.S.)-sanctioned businessman, Azruddin Mohamed’s political party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Dr Jagdeo highlighted the numerous instances where top spokespersons of the party have verbally abused those who do not support them, physically assaulted persons, threatened to kill persons and allegedly hand out monies to solicit support.

 

The PPP/C General Secretary even pointed to the recent statements by the chief spokesman for the WIN party, Bradley ‘Doggie’ Sampson who promised to release those who are incarcerated as Dr Jagdeo stated that other political parties are not interested in the well-being of the nation.

 

While stating that he hopes Mohamed is paying close attention, Sampson said: “…We’re going to bring out all the jail man except the rapers… all the jail men who are incarcerated except the rape ones, y’all coming home September 1.”

 

Noting that there are many young people who were 13 when the PPP/C first took office and now they are 18, Dr Jagdeo cautioned them to not fall for social media optics and think seriously about their future.

He said: “I want to urge those young people to think about their own future. What kind of country do I want to grow up in? I’m sure they will start off by telling you that they want to grow up in a country that is intact, that our borders are safe, and a country that is united, where people are judged on the basis of their work and not how they look or their religion or their gender. A country where all of the people regardless of their race can work together, put their shoulders to the wheel to make sure that we become prosperous.

 

“And there is only one political party today that is pushing this agenda of national unity and bringing people together, and that’s the People’s Progressive Party.”

 

Dr Jagdeo also reminded the youths of the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change’s (APNU+AFC) attempt in 2020 to hijack democracy, stating that when political parties can do such an egregious act, then they will operate with impunity.

 

Young people should safeguard their rights and choose a political party that will work for their support and not take them for granted.

 

On that note, he positioned the PPP/C as the only contender that can do such.

 

A CREDIBLE TRACK RECORD

Dr Jagdeo outlined how the PPP/C has pulled Guyana out of the economic collapse that the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) had plummeted the country into while they held office. He also spoke about how the PPP/C had to revive the economy from the APNU+AFC’s disastrous policies that they had implemented when they were in office from 2015-2020.

 

For instance, from 2015-2020, the previous coalition had crippled Guyana’s workforce and failed to deliver on their manifesto promises.

 

The APNU and its coalition partner, the AFC, put persons on the breadline instead of creating opportunities. An example of this is the thousands of sugar workers who lost their jobs.

Under the APNU+AFC administration, sugar workers were begging for their livelihoods to be spared, even going so far as to hold pickets with heartfelt pleas in the scorching sun. However, the then government turned a deaf ear to their cries.

 

In 2017, the 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.

 

Since its election to office in 2020, the PPP/C government has restored over 4,600 jobs within the sugar industry.

While the APNU+AFC’s term in office left thousands of persons unemployed, the current PPP/C has restored and created in excess of 60,000 jobs since entering office in 2020. This included the creation of part-time jobs which served as an impetus for community growth, where many persons started small businesses and invested in agriculture, among other things.

The General Secretary spoke about the PPP’s record of relief, where it reversed APNU+AFC’s more than 300 taxes.

 

Also, since taking office in 2020, the PPP/C government has implemented a range of tax cuts and relief measures aimed at improving citizens’ lives. These include the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on machinery and equipment, water and electricity, data services, hinterland travel, and several other essential goods and services.

 

Further, industries such as mining and sugar have been lifted from the backburners of development, and the current government continues to focus on diversifying Guyana’s economy with even bigger plans to transform it in its new term.

 

Dr Jagdeo was blunt about the opposition’s record in office, stating: “They failed miserably.”

 

He also opined that now, the APNU has diminished in stature and leadership.

 

DEFENDING GUYANA’S BORDERS, PROTECTING THE PEOPLE

With the border controversy with Venezuela at a decisive stage, Dr Jagdeo stressed the danger of entrusting national security to inexperienced, discredited opposition parties.

 

He said: “As I said before, this is the worst time to take a risk on our case with Venezuela. We’ve been pursuing this case diligently. We’re at a stage at the ICJ where you need to see that process through to the completion and we’re very positive that we will get a good outcome for Guyana that would settle this controversy once and for all with Venezuela.”

 

However, he was not too optimistic that Venezuela will accept the outcome given how that the country’s regime operates.

 

With that said, Guyana needs a government that has the skill to build international coalitions that would address any attempt by Venezuela to harm the nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

 

Dr Jagdeo said: “President Ali has demonstrated and Mark Phillips, that they are capable of getting international support on this matter and also working closely with the U.S., Canada, the French and everyone else to keep Venezuela at bay. I’m not sure any of the other political parties that are contesting now can do that at this critical moment for us. So, we cannot take a risk on that.”