Those expensive billboards are sending deeper messages of political excess and discrimination

Nov 06, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
One of the most interesting things in this political campaign season for 2011 is the public relations employed by political parties. However, I will examine one aspect of the PPP/C public relations because it is the ruling party and seems to be outspending the others. It should be noted that given the overlapping nature of government and party officials it is hard to distinguish between party and government. Therefore, in this letter the use of PPP/C means party and government.
It is clear that the PPP/C is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in their campaign. This is demonstrated in the billboards, posters and T- shirts with different messages encouraging people to vote to give it another 5 years. The cost per billboard is $400,000.00. Assuming that the PPP/C designed and installed 100 billboards nationwide, then the cost would be $40,000,000.00 on billboards alone. Assuming that they designed and installed five billboards then the cost would be $2,000,000.00.
Two serious questions that may arise are: how can the PPP/C find such substantial sums to put up billboards in a city that is streaming with garbage and dirt and how can the PPP/C pay $400,000.00 for a billboard when public servants including teachers, policemen and nurses, get an average of $60,000.00 per month. The answer to these questions may reveal the real message that is disseminated to citizens. The answer is that the PPP/C cares more about doing everything to stay in power including spending large sums on party decorations than on the development of poor communities. This is the message that resonates more with the local people than the one on the boards.
More, it is hard for people to pay attention to billboards when they are not certain about tomorrow. People will not appreciate billboards if they are hungry, insecure and living in poverty.
In fact, such expensive party decorations are offensive to people who are forced to eke out a living in slums alongside gated communities. Perhaps, this is the reason why people are pulling down and destroying the billboards and posters. This is not to encourage them to destroy those decorations but it is a reflection on the reason why people may be indulging in such actions.
Many of the communities in which such billboards and posters have been posted up are in need of basic things like effective and efficient drainage, proper garbage collection and better community facilities, to improve the health of their residents. In some areas, it will cost less than $400,000.00 to secure proper housing for families living on the edge of hopelessness. Instead of that the PPP/C has put up billboards and posters with the hope that people will buy in to their message and give them another 5 years in office. But when actions and messages are incompatible public relations is rendered ineffective.  People are aware that the government is saying one thing but doing something else.
Let us look at a few examples: at a rally in Linden, presidential candidate, Mr. Donald Ramotar said that if elected he (Ramotar) would provide one thousand jobs for residents there. If after 19 years, in office the PPP/C did not create those jobs why must anyone believe that they will do that after the elections? And why wait until after the elections just begin to provide the jobs now.
The PPP/C talks about fighting crime but refuse the help of the Canadian authorities to bring closure to gruesome murder of one of its own ministers and members of his family. His life has gone down for nothing. They facilitated Roger Khan and his masquerade of murderers to commit terrible crimes against the Guyanese people. Over 200 persons were killed during that period.  Minister of Health Mr. Leslie Ramsammy was fingered in testimonies in the United States of America as the one who authorized the purchase of special spy equipment used by Roger Khan in his killing spree and drug operations. Khan was protected by the state while ordinary citizens were left to his mercies. He was the ultimate enforcer of the will of the PPP/C.
They refuse to open an investigation into the killings- a request made by the United Nations. They failed to secure the wellbeing of Guyanese. Mr. Khan had to be arrested outside of Guyana to be brought to justice by the United States of America. The PPP/C refused to hold an inquiry into this dark period of Guyana’s history. None of his henchmen were ever arrested. He still holds properties in Guyana.
They appointed 29 ambassadors none of whom is of African descent. Some of those appointed to represent Guyana at that level have neither the qualifications nor the experience.  Mr. Kellawan Lall is a good example of that sorry situation. He is known in Guyana for his escapades.  Mr. Ronald Garaj who it was alleged facilitated the phantom squad is Guyana’s ambassador to India. The USA revoked his visa. Yet he was posted as one of our Ambassadors representing Guyana and Guyanese.
The PPP/C talks about democracy but attempted to muzzle the press by withdrawing state advertisements from Stabroek News and Kaieteur News, two independent newspapers.   The president of Guyana referred to the media as carrion crows and vultures. The state- owned media is used as propaganda tools for the PPP/C.
The PPP/C talks about democracy but its internal elections are not democratic. Mr. Donald Ramotar was selected not elected. As a result, others who were more capable and suited for that position were not given the opportunity to compete.  After serving 50 years in the PPP/C, Mr. Moses Nagamotoo was forced to migrate to the AFC. He has had enough of internal rigged elections. Party members are cheated by this approach because they will never get the opportunity to be part of the decision making process in voting for a competent leader to lead that party.
The PPP/C talks about its support for ordinary people but when president Jagdeo retires he will get a pension of $3,000,000.00 per month. The pension of a public servant is less than $10,000.00 per month.
The PPP/C talks about moral standards but invites all kinds of characters to entertain our young people in big bubble sessions, at the Providence Stadium. Kartel and the likes banned in other countries were invited by this government to perform in Guyana. Guyana is in moral decline.
It is clear that the PPP/C is mistakenly thinking that their messages on their billboards will contribute to a victory on November 28. Actually, those billboards are seeping deeper messages of political excesses, discrimination, marginalization and lawlessness in the psyche of this nation.
They have mistaken their colourful posters for policies. However, no poster can substitute for sound social, economic and other policies.  What are the policies on land distribution, access to the state- owned media by opposition political parties, campaign financing, awarding of silk in the judiciary, racial discrimination, equal opportunities for all races and genders. In a multiethnic society such as Guyana policies are vital to peace, security and development.
Also, they have mistaken their red T- Shirts for integrity. The cabal that hijacked the party that was carefully nurtured by Dr. Cheddi Jagan has allegations of corruption, links to criminal elements and greed all around them.
Whenever the PPP/C leadership deck out in their T- Shirts, ordinary people identify them as the people who “cuss out”, ‘wine’ at rallies, failed to identify one Afro- Guyanese to appoint as an ambassador to an overseas mission, share up the country’s lands among themselves and their friends, and have public servants living below minimum standards. Their party decorations have become symbols of offense to the poor and down trodden. Therefore, the intended message is not getting through to the masses. They are spending millions on public relations but their actions are speaking louder than their words, their banners, billboards and T- Shirts.
James Martian

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