President Donald Ramotar yesterday said that he was more than frustrated by the opposition during the three years of his presidency and pleaded with voters to return his party with a majority at upcoming elections.

In a speech, which lasted for over 40 minutes and towards the end saw persons walking out of the Babu John cemetery, the president blasted the opposition’s action in the last Parliament. “What I did not have in the opposition benches was patriots… not one day did they say ‘Ramotar build more roads in Berbice’ not one single day, ‘build more school, hospitals’…” Ramotar told the gathering of hundreds of PPP supporters, some trucked and bussed in from various parts of the country.

The occasion was the annual commemoration of the lives of the two late Presidents Cheddi and Janet Jagan at the Cheddi Jagan memorial at Babu John, Port Mourant, Berbice. The occasion served as a kick-start for the PPP’s campaign for the May 11 general elections. Most ministers of government were present but remained somewhat unmoved asthey rarely applauded in concert with the crowd. Ramotar did not garner as much applause as former President Bharrat Jagdeo and at points, sections of the crowd seemed disinterested in what he had to say.

Ramotar does Bob Marley: President Donald Ramotar (right) rendering his version of `every little thing gonna be alright’ at yesterday’s PPP/C observance at Babu John, Port Mourant for the Jagans. His chorus comprised from left, PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, prime ministerial nominee for the upcoming elections, Elisabeth Harper and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. (Arian Browne photo)

The PPP’s Prime Ministerial Candidate for the May 11th General and Regional Elections, Elisabeth Harper joined the list of main speakers which included Jagdeo, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Party General Secretary Clement Rohee. Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon, supported by his walker, braved his own illness and was in attendance, cheering along and waving the party flag when he felt a point should be acknowledged with support. Apart from Ramotar and Rohee to an extent, most of the speakers said little about the Jagans and only one member of the Jagan family was seen.

Pleading with attendees to go out and vote so that his party can regain the majority it held from 1992 to 2011, Ramotar lamented his frustrations during his three-year tenure as a minority president.

He affirmed that he was frustrated during those three years, a point that Jagdeo alluded to earlier in the afternoon. Jagdeo had said that he could only imagine the frustration that Ramotar felt watching proposals he made being rejected by the joint opposition.

PYO members at the commemoration ceremony for Cheddi and Janet Jagan at Babu John, Port Mourant yesterday.

Ramotar said that Jagdeo was “putting it mildly” and listed some of the projects rejected. He blamed the opposition for the non-passage of the anti-money laundering (AML) bill and suggested that they are financed by drug dealers and other criminals who the law would put under greater scrutiny. “They refused on two occasion to pass the AML bill. If we don’t pass that bill there is danger our financial sector…they refused two times and decided to vote to protect the drug traffickers and money launderers in our country,” Ramotar said.

“Maybe that is where they are getting their finances from and that is one of the reasons they are speaking from both sides of their mouth. How can they say they are against crime and drug trafficking and vote against the AML,” he added.

He boasted of changes in the social sector made under the PPP administration saying it was one of their biggest achievements. “We have extended social services to our people. It is important to us,” Ramotar pointed out.

Ramotar told voters that putting the APNU+AFC coalition into the leadership of Guyana would mean going back to an era where they would have to line up for food and every-day supplies.

Enthused Cabinet members and others can be seen in this photo at the commemoration ceremony for Cheddi and Janet Jagan at Babu John, Port Mourant.

“They believe if they can make things bad in our country, if they drive you back to the lines for a quarter pint and of oil and a packet of cigarettes that will change their political fortunes,” he said.

The president said that voters should not be fooled by the change of the party’s name as that does not reflect a party that wants to highlight development as it was only criminals who seek name changes to hide their nefarious activities.

GuySuCo trucks were used to transport PPP/C supporters yesterday to the commemoration ceremony for Cheddi and Janet Jagan at Babu John, Port Mourant. It is unclear if the party had rented them.