-Dr. Singh tells Black Bush Polder residents

-jubilant supporters turn out in their numbers to show support for President Ali, the party

WITH the large number of supporters shouting “Yes!” and clapping in approval, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh, thanked them for their enthusiasm and for turning out at a PPP/C meeting held on Wednesday in the Black Bush Polder.

The mammoth showing sent a strong message of support and confirmed that attendees will be voting for the return of Dr. Irfaan Ali as President and for the PPP/C to continue to serve Guyanese for another five years, while rolling out an impressive list of development plans and policies.

The residents waved PPP/C flags and were in full celebratory mode especially during the appearance of President Ali and members of his cabinet, which included Dr. Singh.

“Comrades! Whether it is Black Bush Polder tonight or New Amsterdam, or Corriverton, whether it is Mahdia, or Mabaruma or Moruca, whether it was Lethem just a few days ago or Linden not so long ago, massive crowds like this are coming out to show their love for the People’s Progressive Party!” Dr. Singh said as the crowd erupted in loud shouts of approval.

“In every single one of the ten regions of Guyana, in every town and in every village, people are coming out in their red to say we will be voting for the PPP but comrades, that is not by accident because the people of Guyana today are wiser than they have ever been at any other time in the history of our country. The people of Guyana today are able to look back at the history of our country and they are able to form one clear opinion-that every single time that the PNC or APNU or any of their associates are in government is a period of destruction for our country, and poverty and every single time that the PPP is in government is a period of development and improvement of the lives of the people of the country,” the minister added.

He reminded supporters about the vision of the PPP’s founder Dr. Cheddi Jagan, which paved the way for the party’s success. He later asked that they look at what Black Bush Polder has evolved into today.

“The people of Guyana saw what the PNC did to our country from 1964-1992. They engineered their way into government at a time when we were one of the most developed countries in the Caribbean, when we were almost as wealthy as Singapore! By the time they left office in 1992, we were bankrupt!”  Dr. Singh said.

He recalled that with the restoration of democracy, the work that the PPP/C did between 1992 and 2015 helped to restore the solvency of the country and bring it out of bankruptcy. Following this, the rebuilding of infrastructure and improvements to people’s lives commenced.

‘DON’T FALL FOR THEIR FANCY PROMISES’

Meanwhile, the minister warned residents to be on their guard and to not be tricked into believing the opposition’s fancy promises.

“You saw that work from 1992 to 2015. But you also saw that there was a difficult period from 2011 to 2015 when they (PNC) joined up with a party called AFC which really was just an extension of the PNC. You know they used a couple of barefaced opportunists to obstruct development. They used their one seat majority to block important laws, to block the anti-money laundering law; they blocked the Amaila Falls project, they cut more than $90 billion dollars of development works in our country. They used their majority only for destructive purposes and they did nothing positive with that one-seat majority,” the minister emphasised.

“And then they continued their deception and came into government in 2015 with a whole set of fancy sounding promises. You remember what they promised the sugar workers? That they would not close the sugar industry and that they would give them 20 per cent salary increase. I don’t know how many sugar workers ever see that 20 per cent salary increase that APNU promised them. Not one! You know they promised that they would reduce taxes, instead they put 200 taxes: food, medicine, education, building materials, heavy equipment, crippling agriculture. You saw how they used that five-year period while they were in government to take away benefits,” Minister Singh reminded the Black Bush Polder residents.

He also reminded them of how APNU took away the children’s cash grant that the PPP/C had implemented even before there was one drop of oil.

“Comrades, you have seen the PPP when we returned to government, under our visionary and energetic president Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. You have seen the transformation of our country, you have seen that as soon as he came into government he took off these 200 taxes. He gave back the benefits that they had taken away, and he increased those benefits and just a few days ago, our president unveiled our plans for the next five years. And guess what? If you believe that we delivered a lot over the last five years, you cannot begin to imagine how much we will be delivering over the next five years!” he shouted above loud cheers from the crowd.

“In every single aspect of life, you have seen the transformation of the roads in every single village. Right here in Region Six, we are building two brand new hospitals for you to get world-class healthcare. We know how important drainage and irrigation is to you. So, we are building a brand-new Hope-like canal structure with two major outfalls that will ensure that the devastating floods of the past will be consigned to history, and you will be better able to manage your water resources,” Dr. Singh said.

He also reminded them about the oil and gas training facility at Port Mourant as well as the tourism and hospitality training facility that is being constructed, the two new hospitals constructed in Region Six and the new nursing school at New Amsterdam. Then he reminded residents that with all the development taking place now under the PPP/C, once again, the PNCR/APNU is coming with its old strategy for all the development to be derailed.

He urged them not to fall for that again.

“It happened before where the APNU came together with the AFC to try to put us as a minority government. Their strategy has not changed. Once again, they are using some opportunists dressed in blue, but the strategy is still the same. The strategy is to take away votes from the PPP, but you know that that will never happen because the people of Guyana will not be fooled again like in 2011 and in 2015. This is 2025 and so we will all be going out to put our X next to the cup at the top and at the bottom to give President Ali the biggest victory in the history of Guyana,” Minister Singh said as the crowd erupted in loud shouts of approval once more.