Cathy Hughes says... PPP holds terrible record of abusing women, yet boasts of improvements in gender parity

Cathy Hughes says… PPP holds terrible record of abusing women, yet boasts of improvements in gender parity

Nov 01, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – This year, Guyana moved up 18 places on the Global Gender Gap Analysis after making progress in the area of gender equality. But while the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government boasts of this achievement, it holds a terrible record of abuse to females.

Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairperson, Catherine Hughes

This is according to Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairperson, Catherine Hughes who recently insisted that President Irfaan Ali ‘drain his swamp’ even as he embarks on the ‘laudable’ 1000 ‘Man on Mission’ initiative.

She told Reporters during a Press Conference, “It has been said, you know a country is based on how it treats its women, children and the elderly. Guyana today shows us how far down the drain we have moved as a people when it comes to how we treat our women.”

Hughes continued, “We talk ad nauseum about the high incident of domestic violence plaguing our country but fail to recognize that its biggest culprits occupy the highest positions with the governing People’s Progressive Party. The current Charrandas debacle is testimony to this.”

The AFC representative argued that some persons have tried to ‘whitewash’ the incident by eagerly welcoming a statement on the issue by President Ali that Persaud has agreed with him that he should return home. This however appears to be a slap on the wrist she complained, since Persaud was not subjected to an investigation. Not only that, but there was no indication from the President that his conduct has rendered him unsuitable to hold public office, she flagged.

To this end, the former Coalition Minister urged, “We insist that this outrageous attack by a Guyana top Diplomat against a woman requires further investigation and an apology to the woman concerned.”

She went on to list several incidents that have occurred over the years where women were mistreated by members of the PPP.

Hughes reminded that Bheri Ramsarran while a Minister of Government, had allegedly threatened to slap a rights activist, while in 2007, there was another allegation where then Local Government Minister, Kellawan Lall had gun whipped a citizen.

She also pointed out that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo also, “did not see the decency in treating Guyana’s former First Lady with respect and giving her what was legally due to her, without the spectacle of locking her out of State House, and other horrific treatment that was meted out to her for all Guyana and the world to see.”

More recently, however, Hughes pointed out there was an incident that occurred in Parliament where Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharmlall, hurled his infamous ‘dildo’ attack on a female member in the Opposition.

On this note, she explained that a Motion submitted by her over eight months ago on February 22 and acknowledged by Parliament on February 24, to take the Minister to the Privileges Committee has been ducked by Parliament.

In addition, Hughes said even the Attorney General was believed to be heard in a recording soliciting sexual services on behalf of his uncle.

Just a few days ago it was also reported that the PPP Councillor from Region Four, Deoraj Nauth, was arrested and charged for allegedly sexually molesting a 14-year-old male student at Hope Secondary school.

Another recent issue reported in the press alleges that PPP Activist, Ossie Rodgers, slapped and gun butted Kamala Bharrat of Bath settlement in a supermarket.