There are signals that government is running scared

Jun 20, 2010 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

By Sheila Holder, MP

In recent weeks the state-owned Guyana Chronicle, funded by taxpayers’ money owing to its dwindling sales, has utilized its human and physical resources to launch into a rabid campaign of misinformation against the AFC. These attacks can only be as a result of AFC’s growing support and, more particularly, encroachment into the PPP’s traditional support base, the East Indian community that has caused them to be running scared.
AFC’s friends and supporters must understand that the Chronicle’s plot is intended to elicit the old tried and tested approach to keep alive the racial politics that has worked for them over the years; but caused large numbers of Guyanese, especially East Indians to run out of this country. The PPP’s usual mantra in keeping alive racial politics is to urge East Indians to “don’t split the votes” as a tactic against the AFC.
What has no doubt motivated this insidious scheme is the new CADRES poll which shows that the AFC is closing the gap on both the PPP and the PNC. The PPP must now realize that a substantial percentage of their traditional Indo-Guyanese vote, which has always been taken for granted, could switch to the AFC.
Since the Guyana Chronicle’s propaganda campaign against the AFC has been launched, calls coming in from supporters on the Corentyne have confirmed this. Hence, the need for the old tactic of “don’t split the votes” as Mrs. Janet Jagan urged the crowd at the Kitty rally in 2002. Obviously, Mrs. Jagan was encouraging Indo-Guyanese to vote as a clan so as to keep the Afro-Guyanese based PNCR at bay.
Remember Babu John
The Chronicle’s scheme is also akin to the Babu John invocation of racial fears targeting PPP supporters in Berbice against opposition parties, when, from the PPP’s platform the claim was made that opposition parties would distribute guns should they get into power.
Here again the subliminal message is clear in its intention to frighten Berbicians with such utterances as ‘vote for AFC and they will share out guns to supporters to kill Indo-Guyanese’. However, the AFC is confident that the lead pervader of this devilish message failed to consider the fact that the AFC is a multi-ethnic party and would never allow this.
The Guyana Chronicle’s new strategy of race baiting goes as follows. First, spread rumours that there is a leadership rift between the AFC’s two main leaders (Monday, 14 June, “AFC Leadership Crisis Unresolved”, Guyana Chronicle). Second, extend the rumours that the split in the AFC is along ethnic lines that there are two ethnic factions fighting for Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattan (Friday, 11 June, “Trotman, Ramjattan factions clash over AFC Leadership”, Guyana Chronicle).
The latter article was particularly disturbing as it falsely claimed that an Indo-Guyanese faction supports Mr. Ramjattan while an Afro-Guyanese faction supports Mr. Trotman. Third, whip up even more rumours that Afro-Guyanese in the AFC are seeking to form a coalition with the PNCR in a quest to marginalize Mr. Ramjattan and the AFC’s Indo-Guyanese supporters (Thursday, 17 June, “Hartley Henry, the PNCR, AFC and underground politics”, Guyana Chronicle). Lately it is Ramjattan in agreement to go back into the PPP in return for the prime ministerial candidacy position.
Fortunately, the National Executive and leadership of the AFC are a lot smarter than the PPP propagandists who work at the Guyana Chronicle might think. We are able to spot the different forms of “don’t split the vote” from afar. We can decipher the devious subliminal messages intended to keep racial politics alive; but the AFC is ahead of their game in working over the last five years among the Guyanese people in their communities to end racial politics. We are confident that the people will not be fooled by the likes of those at the Guyana Chronicle. To our friends and supporters we assure you we stand united, confident that we will soon see the back of this Jagdeo (PPP/C) Administration.
Be Wise and See the Wood for the Trees
We urge the Guyanese people to be vigilant against the PPP’s subtle appeal to ethnic politics. We urge that you give serious consideration to the issues. For example, you should consider this – is the Guyana Police Force professional and reformed since the PPP took over the reins of government on Oct 5, 1992? Are the hundreds of murder cases being solved? Is the government willing to solve the murder of its own Minister Satyadeo Sawh? Is Synergy capable of building a virgin stretch of road in the jungle? Why has the LCDS failed to achieve the projected payments of US$580M per year? Is it really possible to start the Amalia hydro project next year?
Why is there no production of ethanol in Berbice or Demerara to supplement the imports of gasoline? These are only a few of the issues. However, the failures of the Jagdeo Administration are so large that no amount of rumormongering against the AFC can cover them up.