‘Whatever we say, we will do’

Aug 19, 2025 News

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…Jagdeo declares as PPP/C launches manifesto

…had backpedalled on 2020 promise to renegotiate oil contract

Kaieteur News – With Guyanese still feeling the sting from his party reneging on its 2020 promise to renegotiate the lopsided ExxonMobil contract, Vice President and General Secretary of the PPP/C, Bharrat Jagdeo on Monday declared that whatever they promise, they will do if returned to government after the September 1 polls.

He was at the time addressing a gathering at the Pegasus Corporate Suites where the PPP/C launched its 2025 elections manifesto. Themed ‘Forward Together For A Better Guyana’, the document sets out the party’s roadmap to position Guyana as a global leader in climate, energy and food security.

While serving as Opposition Leader, Jagdeo during the APNU+AFC’s term in office said Guyanese should be sad each time ExxonMobil makes a new oil discovery since the then administration accepted a bad deal. He even went on then to commit to “renegotiate those contracts”. However, when this newspaper reminded him of the promise back in 2024 at one of his news conferences Jagdeo, said he never meant that the deal with Exxon would be renegotiated. “Yes, so I said that and I held to the view and not only did I say that, I said that these contracts, some of the, or the contracts will be renegotiated – contracts. So, we had at that time six contracts, that is with Kaieteur, Canje block, several blocks. So, when we said we are not gonna renegotiate the Stabroek contract, and because we are already in production and we will kill the momentum.”

Back in 2019, Jagdeo while being interviewed on 94.1 FM said, “They sold us out to the foreigners – the oil companies. Every time there is a find there, our people should be sad because nothing comes our way. We are going to renegotiate those contracts because that’s not what we had in mind. When we were in the early days, we were coaxing the people (ExxonMobil and partners) to go along. They (APNU+AFC) came into office (and met) 3 billion barrels of proven reserves and then gave up zero royalty, no taxes, no ring-fencing, no local content for these people to spend any money here.”

He continued: “Paying our people GY$72,000 a month when the foreigner is getting US$10,000. Bringing water from California to drink here. We are paying for all that. Landscaping – they wanna contract it to a company coming from abroad and the Trinidadians and others are just walking in not only in the oil sector but they are getting all the prime lands too… So that is why I got back into politics. I’m not prepared to see this happen; I have no desire to be President again.” Although Jagdeo’s comments at the time were focused on the lopsided nature of the Exxon contract, he later claimed that the statements were meant for the other oil blocks.

We will win

On Monday at the PPP/C’s manifesto Jagdeo also assured the gathering that all the promises outlined in the manifesto will be fulfilled. “As you know, we’re a trustworthy party. Whatever we say, we will do…and that’s why we believe that we will win these elections,” Dr. Jagdeo stated.

The general secretary pointed to the 2020 election campaign, reminding Guyanese that every promise listed in that plan has been implemented.  This, he said, was done equitably and fairly, which has strengthened public confidence in the PPP/C’s leadership over the past five years.

“More and more people are attracted not only to our vision, but to the collective that the combined, unified collective that we operate,” he added. Highlighting the party’s unifying approach, the party’s general secretary added that the PPP/C is the only party actively working to bring Guyanese together across racial, religious, and gender lines. According to Dr. Jagdeo, this record of trust and unity is why the PPP/C is confident of securing another mandate from the people of Guyana in the upcoming elections.

Jagdeo also warned that Guyana’s rapid oil and gas development must be carefully managed to avoid the Dutch Disease, stressing that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is the only political party with a credible plan for economic diversification.

“We run the risk… of the Dutch disease, this could destroy your economy, if not managed carefully. We’ve seen around the world, those countries that have bad windfall revenue from a single sector destroy the rest of the economy… You see a huge decline in economic prosperity. In fact, economic disaster. We’ve seen it around the world, Venezuela and many other oil-producing countries.”

He contrasted the PPP/C’s long-term vision with what he described as short-sighted promises from the opposition: “Every other party has spoken about only how they will use oil money, all of the promises they’re banking on, oil money remaining high, and oil prices can collapse no more. What will that leave us as a country? We’re the only party that speaks now of wealth creation, diversification and creating that broad based economy.”

Outlining the government’s approach, the Vice President emphasised that President Mohamed Irfaan Ali has led from the front in ensuring that broad-based economy. “You’ve heard President Ali speak a lot about diversification. The things he mentioned here today, the new sectors, the new proposals that will create the wealth of the future, from the hospitality sector to agriculture to biotechnology to the connection with Brazil, all of these are areas that would receive vital policy attention to ensure that we have a diversified economy.” Jagdeo said the PPP/C is determined to ensure that prosperity reaches every sector, not just oil and gas: The Vice President concluded that only the PPP/C has the track record, experience, and foresight to protect Guyana’s economy from the pitfalls that have devastated other oil-rich nations.

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• Manifesto, oil contract, PPP/C, renegotiate

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