PPP/C only political party with ‘demonstrated commitment to Guyanese’ – Jagdeo

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is the only political party that has demonstrated its commitment to working to earn the confidence of Guyanese.

“We believe that every Guyanese must make progress. That is our approach… if any party belongs to a democratic society, it is the PPP,” he stressed, during a news conference on Thursday (June 8, 2023) at Freedom House, Robb Street.

The PPP General Secretary pointed out the stark contrast between the PPP/C and the PNCR-led APNU, as he rubbished several comments made during a press briefing by Office of the Opposition Leader on Thursday morning (June 8, 2023).

Wild Talk

RUBBISHED

Taking APNU’s Kibwe Copeland, an APNU candidate in Constituency 14 in Georgetown to task over his comments that the PPP/C PPP “has no place in a democratic society,” Jagdeo said, “Either he doesn’t know or he is being dishonest.” The PPP General Secretary stressed that the PPP/C has always been front and center in the fight for democracy in Guyana – a fact that the March 2020 General and Regional Elections debacle concertized a mere three years ago. “Guyanese do not have such short memories, I think,” he said.

He also rubbished the comments by the Coalition’s Elson Low, who attempted to categorise the ‘Because We Care Cash Grant’ as a pittance. “Can you imagine, a party that took away the $10,000 cash grant from people claiming that $40,000 is a pittance? It is unbelievable that you would hear this of thing from a party that was so callous that would steal, I use the word steal, from our children…they stole from them billions of dollars every year...they should be commending this,” he said.

Further, on wild claims of Guyanese being bribed by the PPP/C, Jagdeo said, “They have no proof of bribery….. if anyone has been involved in coercion it is the APNU… honestly and decency is not something that is associated with APNU…APNU is a damaged brand. They are a brand associated with stealing elections. They are a brand associated with breaking their promises. They are a brand associated with the most egregious forms of corruption in our history. They are a brand associated with arrogance; when they are in office nobody could meet them. People know this and that’s why nobody wants to be associated with the brand.”

The APNU continues to prove itself an abysmal failure in the political arena. Noting comments from the Coalition’s Ganesh Mahipaul about “decent and honest” candidates being fielded by APNU for the 2023 Local

Government Elections, the PPP General Secretary noted that this claim cannot be reconciled with the fielding of a candidate who in confrontation with the law for sexual assault of a minor. “This candidate has been tainted in the past…the same thing happened in Bartica, a person charged for rape…the thing is that you can’t go and claim that you have candidates that are of the highest moral standing, while in fact, when you look at what is on offer, it is clear,” he said, noting that while people deserve second chances, child molestation and rape are not trivial issues. Jagdeo also railed into the selective non-governmental organisations, Red Thread and the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), which has been silent on this.

Jagdeo added, “In the APNU’s desperation, the fact that they have nothing to offer is clear.”

Committed To People

On assuming office in 2020, the PPP/C Government was met with a broken procurement system, featuring regular abuse of Guyana’s procurement laws, and no plan for development in sectors such as health and infrastructure. Moreover, the pressure was on with the subsequent cost of living increases, battling the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as having to right the wrongs of the previous government. In spite of these challenges, the PPP/C Government has championed a gamut of initiatives to improve the lives of Guyanese, delivering on many of its manifesto promises in just three years in office.

“Our team is a competent team…we have demonstrated a clear commitment to Guya- nese…we have a clear plan and we have delivered on our promises,” Jagdeo stressed.

Notably, several other longstanding members of the PNC/R have recently thrown their support behind the PPP/C and openly endorsed the party. Ronald Backer, a veteran member of the

People’s National Congress/ Reform (PNCR) and former political assistant to Joseph Harmon, has endorsed the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), highlighting the outstanding work the party has been doing across the country. Audwin Rutherford,

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