PPP to highlight Harmon’s “threatening” language with ERC and international community

Nov 20, 2018 News

At a press conference he hosted yesterday morning, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, said that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) will, within the coming days, file a complaint with the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) against Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
Jagdeo also said that his party will go the full yard and make sure the issue is highlighted on the international stage.
Jagdeo is upset about reported threats made towards PPP/C supporters by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. The comments of contention were made at a “love and unity rally” held in Sophia over the weekend. This rally, Kaieteur News understands, was supposed to be a “thank you” to the people of Sophia.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

Jagdeo is upset because, at that rally, Harmon reportedly spoke ill about PPP/C-controlled Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and that party’s supporters. He accused them of sabotaging the Government’s agenda. Harmon reportedly promised to sternly address those who are perceived to be undermining the administration.
Also, Jagdeo told the media that the entire rally was riddled with racial undertones that will do no good for the people of Guyana. He also said that he did not expect so much hate to be spewed at a “love and unity rally. I thought they would have been talking about love for all of Guyana including us in the PPP, but it was not so.”
The Opposition leader said that Harmon’s attack on PPP supporters is nothing but an attempt to justify the coalition’s defeat at the recent Local Government Election (LGE).
Results from the LGE show that the PPP/C picked up 386 of the 596 proportional representation seats countrywide, against 188 picked up by APNU.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

He said that that can be the only reason for the attack since Harmon knows full well that PPP/C controlled NDCs has nothing to do with the failures at the regional level.
Jagdeo said the real reason for the failure is that the APNU/AFC Coalition removed “technically qualified” persons and replaced them with “party hacks” who are unable to adequately execute their roles.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s not the PPP-controlled RDCs but the REOs, the people (the Government) control and put in place,” Jagdeo said.
Further, the Opposition Leader noted that the overseers in the regions quite often take orders directly from the region and Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan.
The Opposition Leader accused Government of negatively affecting the delivery of goods and services by politically interfering in and by a number of RDCs and NDC.
He cited Linden as an example of incompetent delivery of goods and services although the coalition controls the RDC and the Linden Town Council. Jagdeo point out that that the Auditor General Report is riddle with acts of corruption perpetuated by those in Linden. He said that one cannot say that has anything to do with the PPP as since up until recently, Linden was fully controlled by APNU+AFC.
Nevertheless, Jagdeo said that he will not let Harmon’s comments slide because “he issued a direct threat to a large number of people on the basis of their political affiliation,” and, the “incendiary nature of his speech could affect ethnic and political harmony.”
“That threat Harmon made to PPP supporters cannot go unanswered. We intend to pursue it through every means possible,” said Jagdeo.

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