The PPP/C campaign will be no different this time around

Apr 25, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The date has not been announced for the 2011 General Elections but Guyanese can have no doubt as to the kind of campaign the PPP/C intends to run. If we did not get the message through Mr. Jagdeo’s usual unbecoming behaviour, Donald Ramotar has certainly made it as clear as crystal for us.
The PPP/C campaign will be no different this time around, since the usual ‘fear cast net’ has already been thrown. Yes, the campaign of fear will be unleashed with all its might, on Guyanese. The PPP/C’s thinking is that the politics of fear which has engulfed Guyana over the last decade, has provided the perfect launching pad for them to roll out their ’fear campaign.
Though, this kind of ‘gutter campaign’ was expected from the PPP/C it was hoped that in 2011 after the PPP/C has been in power for almost 20 years, that the party would have had some positives to focus on and, therefore, would be eager to pilot a strong issue based campaign. However, they seemed to have adopted a position, which indicates that after being in the driving seat for almost two decades there is no good record to run on, hence they are incapable of taking the high road.
Their plan seem to be crafted as an emotional wrapper with the intention to present the PPP/C government as the victims of the people of Guyana and the PNCR, while at the same time making the racial overtures. Their use of both covert and overt means to clothe their message in racial packages, by using certain racial overtones and inferential comments tells the extent at which this party would go to keep a people divided.
The PPP/C hope is that a section of Guyanese will cling to the PPP/C induced fears and vote blindly for that party. This brazen play on racial and ethnic insecurities is indicative of a party, which has not grown, or fails to appreciate the dangers of this kind of action. However, the PPP/C, I am sure can relate to that old folk song ‘this time nah lang time’, and so they must be aware that the audience they are playing to have seen them for what they are; a selfish bunch whose only interest is to become multi-millionaires with our tax paying dollars, while the rest of us become 10 times poorer.
They should realise that Guyanese are not as docile as they think we are, and that the PPP/C appeal for sympathy will be seen for what it is; we are observing their actions and analysing their comments. Mr. Jagdeo, the president, was sent in advance to lay the groundwork for the campaign now we have the candidate, Donald Ramotar, awaken from his slumber to join Bharrat Jagdeo in shaping the PPP/C campaign.
Ramotar in his recent comments in the Chronicle made it clear as to where the PPP/C campaign is going. So, Ramotar, while refusing to engage in a public debate with David Granger, and to tell Guyanese why he and the, almost, 20-year regime must get another five years, resorted to making statements in the press accusing the PNCR of being in association with criminals. What a joke! This mantra has now become nothing but a cliché of nothingness. It has been bandied around by Bharrat Jagdeo, since the days of Desmond Hoyte.
The PNCR during that time called on Jagdeo, Ramotar and the PPP/C to turn over the evidence to the police and make the alleged ’Jagdeo secret tape’ public. Robert Corbin has also renewed that call. To date, the propagandists fail to turn over their, supposed, evidence. Nevertheless, Ramotar comes to repeat this lie, to Guyanese, who they see as ponds to be used in their vicious cycle of lies. They also hope that they will be able to dupe the international community into becoming sympathetic to them, as long as these lies are repeated. Those of us, who recalled what happened after the 1997 elections were declared null and void, would remember that the PPP/C went around the country calling Desmond Hoyte and the PNCR all the names out of the book, because they protested. They branded Hoyte and the PNCR terrorists, a word they used to describe Desmond Hoyte, up until his death. All this time they were hiding behind the criminal enterprise they fashioned over the last two decades.
Mr. Ramotar and the PPP/C must know that Guyanese will not be fooled by their sympathy drive, and will strongly denounce this backyard, deceitful kind of politics. We reject the continuous attempt to blame the PNCR and others for the failures of Guyana under your 20-year watch. It is time you account for the 20 years of misrule, time to account for your stewardship; we will not be bought into your baseless scheme.
Time to defend, 16 percent VAT which helped to pauperize more than 75% of the country, time to tell us why there is no master plan, after all the mayhem, to fight crime and ensure our safety; time to tell us why the coast land floods every time rain ‘smiles’ (isn’t the problem man made); time to tell us why teachers, nurses and other public servants continue to be treated like professional beggars; time tell us why the plan to out law unions in Guyana; time to tell us why the sugar, rice and mining sectors have been so badly depleted; time to tell us why the education system is so broken; time to tell us why Home Affairs Minister‘s, Rohee, name is calling in email hacking and kidnapping; time to tell us why the laptop scam was perpetrated on Guyanese; time to tell us whose hands, slain Minister, Sash Sawh and his siblings blood are on; time to tell us why Ronald Waddle’s execution was ordered; time to let the people know why the government thinks torture might be ‘just a form of roughing up’; time to tell us why the Lindo Creek slaughter remains covered up; time to tell us how the victims of the Lusignan and Bartica massacres are coping; time to tell us under which ministry’s authorisation Roger Khan’s spy equipment was bought; time to tell us why Sheema Mangar’s case remains unsolved; time to tell us why overseas-based Guyanese-continue to be major targets of fatal criminal violence; time to tell us why corruption continues unabated in government; time to tell us why the tender board process continues to be lopsided; time to tell us why our children are allowed to stage brazen attacks in schools; time to tell us why the government thinks that instilling fear in the nation is good democratic practice.
There is so much more to tell us Mr. Ramotar.
Ramotar, and the PPP/C must know that talking about ‘Blackie’, an alleged criminal who was shot with his hands in the air, in surrender, will not provide escape avenue for them to deal with the issues which concern Guyanese daily. They must know that this ploy of their’s will not succeed as people have serious concerns with the 20 years they have been in power. But them he might want to tell us more about ‘Blackie’.
Further, Ramotar and the PPP/C must know that though the PNCR and Guyanese are interested in issue based campaign to raise the level of public discourse and to take our society to another level, we will not sit back and allow the PPP/C to indulge in mud slinging without us ‘keeping it real’ but relevant. And let me caution the PPP/C and its candidate that keeping it real in the ‘dogfight’ is not a battle that the PPP/C can win as the evidence and stamp of a corrupt, criminal and inept government stares us in the face daily.
The last 10 years of PPP/C rule has been the worst in Guyana’s history, we can also debate this with respect to the pseudo ‘return to democracy’ mantra of 1992, compared to the last 10 years of the PNC’s management of Guyana. Let us determine which period marks the larges exodus of Guyanese out of our Republic, let us examine the state of the education sector.
Mr. Ramotar these are the kind of issues the voters would want you to address, you hiding behind ‘Blackie’s funeral’ which took place long before the 2006 elections will not work, but if you insist on playing ‘jumbie politics’ well them you might want to explain why you think it was proper for ‘Blackie’ to be gunned down when his hands were up in the air, in surrender.
Ramotar told the media that he suggests the PNCR has close links with criminals, but the people of Guyana have the evidence that the PPP/C government embraces criminals, the full-page advertisement by the convicted drug dealer Roger Khan is a testimony on point. Ronald Gajraj’s telephone record, which shows his frequent contact with known death squad (hit men) members, coupled with his own confession on this, is another example. So if Ramotar and the PPP/C want to go down that road they must know that the people have the facts, and can go pound for pound with them.
Lurlene Nestor

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