Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
PPP gives nothing to Linden without a fight
– says former MP Vanessa Kissoon at women’s rally
Former APNU Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon came out swinging during the APNU+AFC women’s rally on Saturday evening and her main target seemed to be the members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
Kissoon, a former Member of Parliament for the opposition, was one of the more fiery speakers during the rally and kept the audience riveted during her remarks. She was particularly well received by the present Linden women, who would occasionally call out, “that’s my sister deh!”
Simona Broomes (left, standing) and Vanessa Kissoon (right, standing) cheering on Sandra Granger
Kissoon spent a large portion of her address focusing on how the incumbent PPP/C had failed Guyana, particularly its women. She also paid special attention to the government’s shortcomings to Region Ten.
“In this campaign season we hearing a whole set of promises and begging. The PPP throwing out so much promises, even Santa Claus cannot keep up,” Kissoon asserted. However, she said, these promises are nothing new and had been promised to the people of Linden for years now.
“We’re not going to be fooled by these promises; after years of not delivering, President Donald Ramotar and Mrs. [Elisabeth] Harper are making promises to the people of Guyana and notably the people of Region 10. These are empty promises,” Kissoon told a roaring crowd.
She went on that, as a former MP for the region, she had recognised that the PPP “give nothing to Region 10 without a fight”.
Waving flags were the order of the day
“We fought for everything: a fair share of the nation’s pie, our electricity, gratuity for our nurses and healthcare workers…you name it, we fought for it… we fought for our rights to equal treatment as fellow Guyanese, so I don’t know what promises President Ramotar and Mrs. Harper are talking about.”
She further said that these “empty promises” were being made long before President Ramotar came into office. She noted the promises of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who had previously indicated that Region 10 would be made the industrial corridor of Guyana.
“What they did is make Region 10 the corridor for them and their friends to live like fat cats. But they are coming with more promises; we have news for Mrs. Harper, Mr. Jagdeo and Mr. Ramotar; the three trolls in Region 10. We are not buying that. We know by now that promises are for fools and we the people of Region 10 and Guyana are no fools.”
Just a section of the hundreds at the women’s rally
Kissoon further noted that Jagdeo had challenged APNU+AFC’s presidential candidate David Granger to a debate. According to Kissoon, this was a clear case of “eye pass” and she in turn challenged the former president to a debate.
“For Mr. Jagdeo, it takes a thug to deal with a thug…I say I don’t have a problem dealing with him.
“This is former President, now private citizen, wants a debate. Both him and I held political office and are now private citizens so I, Vanessa Kissoon, am challenging Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo to a debate…let him debate me on his record of corruption, victimization, discrimination…let us have a debate on substance, not ‘doo doo’ and false promises.”
Enthusiastic supporters at the APNU+AFC women’s rally
Other than Kissoon, almost every speaker had scathing words to direct towards the PPP/C. New member of the coalition Simona Broomes of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) in particular hit out at the current administration and indicated that it was getting her “vex”.
High on the women’s agendae were the issues of eradicating sexual violence against women and children, reducing maternal deaths, and tackling trafficking in persons (TIP).
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