GUYANA CHRONICLE, AUGUST 26 --- THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has been engaging various stakeholders and interest groups in discussions on the current political situation, according to a statement from the Party, which added that encouraging interest has been shown in the establishment of a national democratic front ahead of the next general and regional elections.The statement said, “The People’s Progressive Party is heartened by the interest shown by a large number of civic and political stakeholders in forming a broad national democratic front with the Party ahead of the next general and regional elections.
“The PPP has been meeting with various stakeholders and interest groups to discuss the political situation and the need for more to be done to realize the establishment of this broad National Democratic Front Alliance which would see Guyanese electors benefiting significantly from higher levels of transparency, accountability, good governance and democratic rule.”
========================
I have been reliably informed that the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana [GIOG] is one of the civic stakeholders interested in the proposed PPP alliance.
This development doesn't surprise me and that's why I posted a laughing emoticon in response to KishanB's GIOG thread which Raymond closed.
You see, the CIOG was born in 1979 out of sheer political opportunism to curry favor with the Burnham regime.
From the time Burnham got into government in late 1964, he tried aggressively to win over the foremost Muslim representative body at that time: the Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman.
Burnham failed because the Anjuman's President Yacoob Ally and its executive members were not opportunists and chose to remain loyal to Dr Jagan's PPP.
Burnham then decided to create a new Muslim organization with the help of some opportunists. In 1979 Fazeel M. Ferouze and others met at the Bishop's High School, not in a mosque, and formed the CIOG. Burnham gave cushy jobs to GIOG officials at PNC government ministries.
With its formation, the GIOG immediately destroyed Muslim unity which the Anjuman had maintained for years.
After Burnham died, Desmond Hoyte to his credit distanced himself from the CIOG. Hoyte sought and got the support of the Anjuman through an Albouystown businessman named Rahaman.
Being left in the cold, the PNC crooks and opportunists who had formed the CIOG approached Dr Cheddi Jagan in 1986 through Fazeel M. Ferouz and pledged loyalty to the PPP. Dr Jagan readily accepted Ferouz as the Anjuman had already deserted the PPP.
The "reformed" GIOG gave the PPP majority Muslim votes in 1992, thus helping the PPP to win the elections. Since then the PPP has been paying back Ferouz and the CIOG with trips abroad on government business and other perks.
No wonder the CIOG, a religious organization, is now interested in joining a political PPP alliance. Talk half and leff half.