PPP makes last minute appeal to win back lost Berbice votes

May 04, 2015 News

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As time winds down on what is expected to be a tight contest between the two leading parties, the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) spent their last stop in the ancient county painting a dark image of a coalition-led government and a bright one for their own.
As several thousands of party supporters, decked primarily in red, converged for a mass rally at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice, yesterday the incumbent party leaders were heard making last-ditch efforts to garner support, with bright plans they believed are destined to take the country forward.
Speaking to those who gathered in an empty lot next door to Region Five’s Freedom House, leaders of the PPP/C blasted the opposition for “non-judicial” budget cuts they say stymied development, and launched a stinging attack on the Alliance for Change for collating with A Partnership for National Unity.
To those who came from far and wide and even those who were trucked in, the ruling party came with future offerings of sustaining the sugar industry, creating jobs, working to empower women, encouraging education programmes, improving health care, fostering youth access to technical and vocational training, improved care for the elderly and promoting the rights of the differently-able.
They placed emphasis on the importance of the PPP/C regaining the majority of Berbice votes some of which was taken by the AFC during the 2011 elections. The party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee started his passionate address by first highlighting that this was the elections crunch time.
After hyping the crowd on a PPP victory, come May 11, Rohee said they must believe that they will win and that Guyana has a bright future. Speaking like a visionary, he urged supporters to be strong and “stand up for what they believe in.”
“We have to defend the democracy that we have fought for all these years…if as we said we want to win this elections, we do not want to gamble with our future. Our future is too precious comrades,” he said.
Rohee told the thousands that in order for his party to be victorious, they have to win the votes of the 6899 in Region Five who stayed away from the 2011 polls. “In this Region Five, over 6000 voters did not go out to vote and approximately 3000 persons went and voted for the AFC.”
The party’s General Secretary highlighted that the Region Five voter’s list has grown by approximately 6409.
Rohee said “We therefore have a major task ahead of us and the task ahead of us is to keep those thirteen thousand votes with us, to win back those who voted against us, to bring back those who did not vote for us, who stayed away and also to win over those who have now been added to the voters’ list.”
Rohee described this as the major task they have ahead of the polls next Monday.
Dishing out a tongue lashing on the recently formed coalition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), the General Secretary said it was an effort to “double bank” his party, but “we want to let them know that we will beat them back.”
Charged, Rohee asked the massive crowd if they were ready for battle, and the crowd, needing no further nudge, screamed. “We have to fight,” he said.
He added, “We are the builders, they are the destroyers. We want to go forward, they want to go backward.” The party’s General Secretary spoke confidently of a landslide victory.
“We want to warn them that any attempt to subvert the democratic process in his country, we will fight them back,” Rohee proclaimed.
The General Secretary alleged that the opposition forces are trying to interfere in the democratic process, and he lashed out at Attorney-at-Law James Bond, a candidate for APNU+AFC for what he described as “irresponsible” Facebook post.
Shortly after members of the Joint Services cast their ballot on Saturday, Bond, in a Facebook post, stated that 94% of Disciplinary Forces have voted in favour of the coalition, even though their ballots are yet to be stamped or counted.
This was seen as an act seeking to sow mischief in the country but the PPP will not allow anyone to subvert the electoral process, he said.
“We have Dr. Cheddi Jagan who has fought hard for the party to be where we are today…from tomorrow, each and every one of you irrespective of where you come from, must go out there and be a soldier for the PPP/C: work the grounds, knock on every single door, speak to everyone. This elections is too dear for us to lose it. The election is too precious for us to allow ourselves to be thrown back.”
He appealed for party supporters to bring out their friends, family members and even enemies to cast ballots in his party’s favour.
Also, Presidential Candidate, Donald Ramotar told the candidates that they must win to safeguard their future. Ramotar, in his 30-minute delivery, spent a considerable time rehashing incidents of the past but the crowd, which saw a large youth turnout appeared unaffected.
Stating openly that the Opposition has a ‘plan’ to steal ballots, Ramotar called on supporters to be vigilant when at the polling stations next week.

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