Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 18, 2016 News
-claims Gov’t has signed deal to sell out GuySuCo
Facing one of its sternest tests yet, the country’s Opposition- the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)
yesterday vowed to regroup and reclaim power, with its leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, announcing a campaign to aggressively woo supporters of the Coalition government.
In what party officials later claimed was its biggest ever congress turnout- almost 1,600 delegates and observers from across the country- Jagdeo urged decisive actions to be taken that will see PPP not only consolidating its traditional supporters’ base, but preparing to take power and remain there for at least 25 years.
The PPP, which had been in power for 23 years continuously, was handed its first loss following early elections last year May.
The leadership of the party had been facing pressure to explain being out of office with yesterday’s start of the 31st Congress at the Cottonfield Secondary School, Essequibo Coast, expected to see a different direction being taken and major changes with regards to the leadership.
Several of the party’s top leaders, including former President Donald Ramotar, former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon; overseas guests and private sector representatives were present at the school yesterday.
Essequibo Coast, a rice-growing area, was a stronghold of the PPP but the Coalition made inroads in the area last year. Neglect of party supporters had been blamed.
It was clear yesterday that Jagdeo, a former President, had a game plan for his party. He told the partisan crowd that it will entail hard work for the next three years to the 2020 elections.
Lauding the delegates and observers for their tireless enthusiasm, Jagdeo noted the gains made by his party for this country, following the 1992 elections.
This has all been erased in the last 19 months of the David Granger administration with no new investments brought in.
“They have demonstrated they are incapable of leading this country,” the Opposition Leader told the crowd.
The administration is not only incompetent in managing the affairs of Guyana but is “bereft” of ideas and clearly following a philosophy of placing more taxes on the heads of Guyanese.
This entailed borrowing more, spending more and little attention to accumulating wealth and national income.
Burnhamism
Jagdeo made it clear that the Coalition is following a path of former President Forbes Burnham whose reign was littered was hardships.
“Don’t listen to me…listen to (President David) Granger at the last (People’s National Congress Reform) congress.”
And that spells doom for Guyana. This is evidenced already from a declining economy.
The National budget was not spared, with Jagdeo claiming that the target is not only on the rich, but also women, elderly, vendors and everyone else. The 14 percent VAT planned for water and electricity usage is a callous act with even things like prescription drugs and education being taxed.
“They have demonstrated a proclivity to being venal. One week later after getting into office, they gave themselves a raise.”
He said that the mediocrity by Government in Parliament is unbelievable. “You can’t take a country like this and lead it on the road to greed and corruption. It is mediocre. They have made deception an art form.”
Jagdeo made reference to the drug bond scandal which was not tendered and consisted of an annual cost that was higher than the budget of some regions.
Jagdeo vowed to ensure that the PPP emerges from the current situation, an eager, better and stronger party.
“We will use the period in opposition to strengthen ourselves…If we don’t we will not be living up to standards we set ourselves.”
The Opposition Leader, whose way to a third term in office has been cleared by a court ruling, admitted that the Guyana is paying close attention to what comes out of the congress- including electing of the PPP’s highest decision making forum. It is time to send a clear message to Guyanese that the PPP is serious about regrouping and retaking power, he said.
Elections are expected as early as today for members of the Central Committee, the body which carries out the mandate of the congress. The Central Committee in turn will choose members to the Executive Council, which forms the core leadership to lead until the next congress.
Insisting that PPP remains the face of Guyana with no discriminations when it comes to religion, class or gender, it is the party’s intention to remain true to these founding principles.
Meanwhile, Jagdeo made it clear that the three days should be used to examine what went wrong with an honest assessment of the reason the party is in Opposition today.
However, Jagdeo was convinced that there was massive rigging in last year’s elections. He stressed that change does not mean giving up the PPP’s core principles.
With regards to rumours that the party may be readying to cut loose of a number of the older party executives, Jagdeo said that they have a central role to play to move the PPP forward for the next 25 years in government.
PPP, he said, will have to stop being exclusionary, and will resume the progress when it returns to power in 2020.
The former President also blasted the “institutionalized discrimination” of the Coalition government.
Discrimination
He said that he has said it before and will say it again…that once people are Indo-Guyanese, they are automatically labelled PPP.
The administration since taking office, Jagdeo accused, has decimated the work force of persons perceived to be PPP supporters.
He said that the statistics will point to persons being “ethnically cleansed” from the ministries and other State agencies. These include even cleaners.
“Shortly after the coalition took office last year, it also committed one of the biggest acts of discrimination against Amerindians, cutting employment to 2000 persons. This was the worst act of discrimination in the western hemisphere in the last 40 years yet civil society said not one word,” the Opposition Leader told the delegates.
Jagdeo also boasted that under the PPP, more Afro-Guyanese benefited than any other time in the country’s history.
Even the Amerindians are being targeted with Government planning to pass new laws, he said.
According to the Opposition Leader, in the last 19 months alone, over 10,000 jobs were lost because of an “incompetent” Government.
They have even gone after miners, announcing plans to increase taxes. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth in market access were lost to farmers in the Region 10 area because of the Government’s inaction.
As if that was not enough, the rice and sugar industries are in deep trouble with $2.3B left in the bank accounts of the Guyana Rice Development Board almost gone.
With regards to sugar, in addition to the Wales estate closure this month, the former President claimed that he is aware of a secret deal to sell out the sugar industry. Some 1,700 persons have already lost their jobs at Wales, he said.
It will be hard for this Government to deliver on its campaign promises and Guyana should expect a rough ride, he warned.
It is the job of the congress to not only find new ways to run the PPP but to put it back in tip-top shape and take back the power, he urged.
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
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