Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Jagdeo was silent on race relations during PPP’s tenure – AFC
The Alliance For Change (AFC), the minority party in the Coalition Government, finds it most absurd that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is calling for a debate on the issue of race, when they were completely silent during the 23 years that the party controlled Government.
AFC Leader, Raphael Trotman
Following public debates over the ethnic composition of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), PPP’s General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo challenged President David Granger to debate race relations, pointing out that a national conversation on the issue is the only way that Guyana will be able to move forward.
However, the AFC in its column published in the Sunday edition of the Kaieteur News alluded to the PPP’s silence on race relations.
“We recall that the PPP had had nothing to say about race and conspiracy during the 23 years, they presided over Guyana. They had no problems with previous Chairmen of GECOM,” the AFC stated.
Jagdeo’s PPP has accused GECOM of race bias that saw the top-ranked candidate, Vishnu Persaud, an Indo-Guyanese, being pruned down for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO).
PPP Commissioner, Robeson Benn had charged that Afro-Guyanese made up 90% of the staff of GECOM, a claim that has since disputed as incorrect based on statistics released by GECOM Chairman, Justice James Patterson (ret’d).
According to the AFC, the PPP’s intentions to keep the racial divide wide-open are very clear, very disturbing and they run tantamount to the nation’s determination to grow, move forward and develop as a nation on a united platform.
“Playing the race card to keep any support base uninformed, afraid and willing to circle their proverbial political wagons is old, it is tired, and it does not take into account that new generations of voters are well educated people who are very capable of making their own decisions,” the AFC pointed out.
The party reminded that Jagdeo had made the very same claims on his 2014/15 campaign trail, citing some rather off-colour stories of Coalition supporters beating drums in south Georgetown and urging Afro-Guyanese to vote “these people” out.
According to the AFC, despite diligent searches by various non-political and transparency groups, no one could find any evidence to substantiate his claims.
The party also pointed out that informed people do not like to be jerked around to suit anyone’s purpose.
“They care about programmes that are executed to enrich their lives and see to their future. The PPP has to know this. It’s not rocket science, so their constant beating of this tattered old drum, using a made-up race issue at GECOM would do very little for them,” the AFC stated.
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