GENERAL Secretary Clement Rohee spoke with confidence when he said, “We have never betrayed the people of Guyana; all the policies of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) have been for the people of this country.”The occasion was the PPP/C public meeting last evening at Uitvlugt, on the West Coast of Demerara.

First up at the podium and setting the pace was PPP/C Region 3 representative, Bibi Shadick, who gave numerous accounts of acts of aggression and otherwise under the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration, and the terrible treatment meted out to Guyanese people during their tenure.
She noted that one of the major hindrances to development was the destruction of the rice industry. “The rice fields became pastures under the PNC government. Today, under the PPP/C, the rice industry has been revitalised, and that is what a caring government does,” Shadick said, adding:
“We have sugar and rice; we don’t need that. We need to add value, and that is what the PPP/C manifesto talks about: Adding value to our products.”
Turning her attention to even more pressing matters, this being the upcoming elections, Shadick said:
“The race is between two persons at elections: The PPP/C and the PNC.” She then went on to explain to the large gathering from Uitvlugt and contiguous communities that April 7 is Nomination Day, and that judging from rumour going the rounds, the Opposition is yet to chose a head of the list.
“We have heard a few names… Christopher Ram said he has a British passport, and they continued to discuss in secret about nomination. We heard Ralph Ramkarran was approached, as well as Yesu Persaud,” Shadick said cryptically, leaving her audience to draw their own conclusion.

POWER STRUGGLE
As to the power struggle presently taking place within the collated Opposition, she said: “They can’t even trust themselves, and they are asking Guyanese people to trust them. How can we trust them?”
At that, she implored her by now riveted audience: “Please, don’t be misled by these people; we should be proud of who we are and what we are.
“Let us don’t repeat 2011; come out and vote; we need every single person to come out. This election is very important; we have to better the things we have done. “Within another five years, so much can be done; we have plans for this country in the next five years.”

TICK-TOCK
Next up was Rohee, who started off by saying, “We are 39 days away from Elections Day, and the clock is ticking… to make up our minds whether we go forward or we go backwards.”
And, without missing a beat, he went on to other matters of importance. “Many of us, our ancestors and parents would have contributed towards the development of Guyana, and we, the current generation, are taking the country forward now. Look at the people today! They can have their own houses and cars! They have enjoyed what we couldn’t do before,” the GS said as he related that these developments of which he spoke can be credited to the vision and strategic planning of the PPP/C government.
As for the opposition they’re up against, Rohee said in obvious reference to the many manifestations of their nemesis: “Granger carried the PNC in a beauty parlour, but when they come out and they started to ‘chamkay’, is the same person.”
He then turned his attention to what obtained during elections past before the ‘dawn of a new era’ with a return to democracy on October 5, 1992, and of more recent vintage the many challenges that assailed the PPP/C administration during the just-concluded Tenth Parliament, what with the Combined Opposition creating havoc with their ‘one-seat majority’. “They blocked almost every development project; and now they are claiming that some of these are good for the country,” he said, adding: “The reason for this sort of behaviour was because of the hatred they have for the PPP/C.”
But, he said, with some measure of pride at what the PPP/C has been able to achieve over the years: “Change takes time; progress takes time. And in 22 years, look at what we have done for the development of Guyana. As the economy improves, we can place more emphasis on education, health, housing, security among others.”
The one catch, however, he said, was that in order to do this; to make it a reality, was to ensure the return of the PPP/C government to a majority power.
In closing, he said: “The PPP/C will once again enjoy the confidence of this country which we have never let down. We can only succeed with the support and the active involvement of the people to make Guyana a land of progress and prosperity.
“This election is about winning the majority of seats in Parliament, because it is here that all our initiatives were blocked; this is why we need to win by a convincing majority.”