Defectors pose no threat to APNU – Granger … as Phillip Bynoe endorses PPP/C at Linden Rally
October 18, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News
Source - Kaieteur News
APNU’s Presidential Candidate David Granger[/img]
The fact that another former prominent member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has now crossed over and is now in the camp of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is not earth shattering and is not a cause for too much concern.
A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Presidential Candidate, David Granger, was responding to the fact that the PPP/C at its most recent rally in Linden, unveiled prominent Lindener and former opposition senior functionary Phillip Bynoe in its camp.
Granger dismissed the Bynoe endorsement of the PPP/C as not surprising and will not impact adversely on the APNU’s chances at the election come November 28.
“He had left the party ranks a long time ago,” according to Granger.
In December, 2008 President Bharrat Jagdeo, granted Bynoe a pardon from his treason charge for which he was on the run and a fugitive for several years. On the other hand, Mark Benschop languished for five years in prison on the same charge.
According to the Government Information Agency, Bynoe had been writing to President Jagdeo since 2007 applying to him for a pardon.
In his appeals, Bynoe reportedly expressed his remorse over the invasion of the Office of the President and the destruction of public property.
In 2002, Bynoe campaigned throughout the country, urging citizens to protest against what he called atrocities against the people by the PPP/C Government.
His campaigning helped to spark a massive march on July 3, 2002, which culminated in the storming of the Office of the President, leading to the shooting death of two persons and injuries to several others, as Presidential Guards opened fire on the intruders.
Social activist Mark Benschop, who was a part of the march, was subsequently charged along with Bynoe for treason.
He spent five years in prison, until he too was pardoned by the Head of State.
He had undergone a lengthy preliminary inquiry and trial in the High Court, where a single juror refused to agree with others on a not-guilty verdict.
Immediately people concluded that political considerations caused that juror to stymie the not-guilty verdict.
Granger said that the APNU is in no way fazed by the actions of Bynoe in his endorsement of the PPP/C.
According to Granger, Bynoe’s action does not in any way affect the character of the PNCR. He did not have a constituency of voters that could have been cajoled away from the coalition.
Bynoe has in the past been on the list of Candidates for the PNCR and has on numerous occasions outside of the 2002 incident rallied on behalf of that party.
Speaking to the other defectors, Granger said that they have made personal decisions and will have to answer to their former supporters why they made the decisions that they did.
Singling out specifically the former President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Gillian Burton, Granger says that she will have to explain to the workers for whose rights she had signed on to fight why she decided to endorse the PPP/C.
Granger says that the PPP/C has been destroying the Trade Union Movement and for this too Burton will have to answer.
While contending that the movement of Dr Richard van West Charles into the ranks of the Alliance for Change (AFC) will also not have a significant impact on the chances of the APNU at the election, Granger says that he too will have to answer for his action.
As recent as May, Dr Van West Charles was still an active member of the PNCR and a member of the party’s General Council. Granger reminded too of a recent attempt to challenge for the leadership of that party and subsequently throwing heavy support behind the late Winston Murray and then Carl Greenidge.
Granger says that while he is aware of small personal differences that Dr Van West Charles may have had with individuals within the party he was not aware of any differences he would have had with the party’s policies.
The APNU’s Presidential Candidate says that Dr Van West Charles too will have to explain his position.
All in all Granger insists that the movement of the likes of Joe Hamilton, Burton, Dr Van West Charles and Bynoe is no great loss to the PNCR and APNU in general.
Granger says that what has been downplayed in recent times is the amount of support that the APNU has been able to garner.
He spoke of persons from parties such as The United Force and others that have come out in full support of APNU.
“There are more people coming than are leaving,” Granger said.
The APNU Presidential Candidate also took the PPP/C to task for what he called trekking convoys cross country for their rallies and in the process utilizing State resources.
Granger said that the crowds that persons are seeing attending the various rallies are in no way indicative of the support base for the PPP/C in that particular constituency.
He said that it was clear to see in Linden over the past weekend that the PPP/C is using state resources to bloat the crowds at the rallies.
Speaking to the inability to compete fairly with the incumbent given what he called their access to state resources, Granger insists that the coalition of Opposition parties is faring better that the PPP/C.
According to Granger in areas such as Linden while the APNU rally crowd appeared to be smaller than that of the PPP/C it more accurately reflects the Linden support base.
He further pointed out that as against the one-off rallies that the PPP/C undertakes the APNU has been holding regular outreaches and has been in close contact with Region 10.
Granger pointed out that what is even more important to note over the past weekend is the fact that Linden is not Region 10 and that APNU has been conducting outreaches in Wismar and Kwakwani among other areas in the locale indicative of even more work being done.
And yesterday, the APNU issued a statement in which it stated that in “its now typical manifestation of arrogance, contempt for the intelligence of the people, the PPP/C caravan, complete with its paid for and imported audience announced the continuation of the tenure of Samuel Hinds as Prime Ministerial candidate.”
The APNU contends that it is the very Hinds who “willingly connived, since 1992, in the PPP policies which have depressed and punished the Linden, Kwakwani and other communities of Region Ten, simply because they supported the PNCR.”
“Despite the lofty promises made by RUSAL and BOSAI, at the time when the Guyanese national bauxite patrimony was “given” to them by the PPP, the Bauxite Industry, which was the mainstay of the economy of Region #10 was deliberately allowed to be maintained at its lowest levels…None of the publicly promised new developments have taken place and Sam Hinds and the PPP have continued to make lame excuses on their behalf.”
APNU added also that, “we have the ridiculous situation of RUSAL blatantly and brazenly violating the Labour Laws of Guyana while Manzoor Nadir, the Minister responsible for upholding the Labour laws, continuing to refuse to enforce those laws… Now Donald Ramotar promises that he will “negotiate and press” the same RUSAL outlaws and the Chinese outfit to add value-added products…They cannot even press RUSAL to obey the laws of Guyana.”
October 18, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News
Source - Kaieteur News
APNU’s Presidential Candidate David Granger[/img]The fact that another former prominent member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has now crossed over and is now in the camp of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is not earth shattering and is not a cause for too much concern.
A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Presidential Candidate, David Granger, was responding to the fact that the PPP/C at its most recent rally in Linden, unveiled prominent Lindener and former opposition senior functionary Phillip Bynoe in its camp.
Granger dismissed the Bynoe endorsement of the PPP/C as not surprising and will not impact adversely on the APNU’s chances at the election come November 28.
“He had left the party ranks a long time ago,” according to Granger.
In December, 2008 President Bharrat Jagdeo, granted Bynoe a pardon from his treason charge for which he was on the run and a fugitive for several years. On the other hand, Mark Benschop languished for five years in prison on the same charge.According to the Government Information Agency, Bynoe had been writing to President Jagdeo since 2007 applying to him for a pardon.
In his appeals, Bynoe reportedly expressed his remorse over the invasion of the Office of the President and the destruction of public property.
In 2002, Bynoe campaigned throughout the country, urging citizens to protest against what he called atrocities against the people by the PPP/C Government.
His campaigning helped to spark a massive march on July 3, 2002, which culminated in the storming of the Office of the President, leading to the shooting death of two persons and injuries to several others, as Presidential Guards opened fire on the intruders.
Social activist Mark Benschop, who was a part of the march, was subsequently charged along with Bynoe for treason.
He spent five years in prison, until he too was pardoned by the Head of State.
He had undergone a lengthy preliminary inquiry and trial in the High Court, where a single juror refused to agree with others on a not-guilty verdict.
Immediately people concluded that political considerations caused that juror to stymie the not-guilty verdict.
Granger said that the APNU is in no way fazed by the actions of Bynoe in his endorsement of the PPP/C.
According to Granger, Bynoe’s action does not in any way affect the character of the PNCR. He did not have a constituency of voters that could have been cajoled away from the coalition.
Bynoe has in the past been on the list of Candidates for the PNCR and has on numerous occasions outside of the 2002 incident rallied on behalf of that party.
Speaking to the other defectors, Granger said that they have made personal decisions and will have to answer to their former supporters why they made the decisions that they did.
Singling out specifically the former President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Gillian Burton, Granger says that she will have to explain to the workers for whose rights she had signed on to fight why she decided to endorse the PPP/C.
Granger says that the PPP/C has been destroying the Trade Union Movement and for this too Burton will have to answer.
While contending that the movement of Dr Richard van West Charles into the ranks of the Alliance for Change (AFC) will also not have a significant impact on the chances of the APNU at the election, Granger says that he too will have to answer for his action.
As recent as May, Dr Van West Charles was still an active member of the PNCR and a member of the party’s General Council. Granger reminded too of a recent attempt to challenge for the leadership of that party and subsequently throwing heavy support behind the late Winston Murray and then Carl Greenidge.
Granger says that while he is aware of small personal differences that Dr Van West Charles may have had with individuals within the party he was not aware of any differences he would have had with the party’s policies.
The APNU’s Presidential Candidate says that Dr Van West Charles too will have to explain his position.
All in all Granger insists that the movement of the likes of Joe Hamilton, Burton, Dr Van West Charles and Bynoe is no great loss to the PNCR and APNU in general.
Granger says that what has been downplayed in recent times is the amount of support that the APNU has been able to garner.
He spoke of persons from parties such as The United Force and others that have come out in full support of APNU.
“There are more people coming than are leaving,” Granger said.
The APNU Presidential Candidate also took the PPP/C to task for what he called trekking convoys cross country for their rallies and in the process utilizing State resources.
Granger said that the crowds that persons are seeing attending the various rallies are in no way indicative of the support base for the PPP/C in that particular constituency.
He said that it was clear to see in Linden over the past weekend that the PPP/C is using state resources to bloat the crowds at the rallies.
Speaking to the inability to compete fairly with the incumbent given what he called their access to state resources, Granger insists that the coalition of Opposition parties is faring better that the PPP/C.
According to Granger in areas such as Linden while the APNU rally crowd appeared to be smaller than that of the PPP/C it more accurately reflects the Linden support base.
He further pointed out that as against the one-off rallies that the PPP/C undertakes the APNU has been holding regular outreaches and has been in close contact with Region 10.
Granger pointed out that what is even more important to note over the past weekend is the fact that Linden is not Region 10 and that APNU has been conducting outreaches in Wismar and Kwakwani among other areas in the locale indicative of even more work being done.
And yesterday, the APNU issued a statement in which it stated that in “its now typical manifestation of arrogance, contempt for the intelligence of the people, the PPP/C caravan, complete with its paid for and imported audience announced the continuation of the tenure of Samuel Hinds as Prime Ministerial candidate.”
The APNU contends that it is the very Hinds who “willingly connived, since 1992, in the PPP policies which have depressed and punished the Linden, Kwakwani and other communities of Region Ten, simply because they supported the PNCR.”
“Despite the lofty promises made by RUSAL and BOSAI, at the time when the Guyanese national bauxite patrimony was “given” to them by the PPP, the Bauxite Industry, which was the mainstay of the economy of Region #10 was deliberately allowed to be maintained at its lowest levels…None of the publicly promised new developments have taken place and Sam Hinds and the PPP have continued to make lame excuses on their behalf.”
APNU added also that, “we have the ridiculous situation of RUSAL blatantly and brazenly violating the Labour Laws of Guyana while Manzoor Nadir, the Minister responsible for upholding the Labour laws, continuing to refuse to enforce those laws… Now Donald Ramotar promises that he will “negotiate and press” the same RUSAL outlaws and the Chinese outfit to add value-added products…They cannot even press RUSAL to obey the laws of Guyana.”
