Jagdeo courts Disciplined Services vote at Stewartville –rates Granger’s legacy one of ‘stolen ballot boxes, rigged elections’

THE Guyanese electorate will vote en masse in two weeks for the political party of their choice at the upcoming May 11 Regional and General Election, but the Disciplined Services will cast their ballots a week earlier on Saturday coming, and the incumbent is courting their vote.Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday took the opportunity in his address at the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) campaign rally at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (WCD), to reach out to ranks of the Guyana Defence and Police Forces, to do some introspection, see which political party would have had the interest of the serving ranks at heart, and not be misguided by the machinations of the political opposition.

EX-MILITARY
Introduced as the Champion the Earth, the former president took to the stage amidst thunderous reception, evident of his immense popularity among the thousands of PPP/C supporters converged at the Stewartville Sideline Dam for its 2015 leg of the election rallies.
Attired in his Party’s colours, black and red, Jagdeo told Region Three he is confident of their support come May 11, and as such wanted to use the opportunity to speak directly the members of the Disciplined Services, in addition to the International Observers in Guyana for the keenly-contested elections.
According to Jagdeo, there has been a major attempt “to capture the hearts and minds of soldiers by the inclusion of ex-military people in the PNC (People’s National Congress Reform) campaign.”
Jagdeo told the thousands gathered that the opposition argues “that they love the soldiers; that they will take good care of them… But I say to the soldiers and policemen who are not here (at the Stewartville Rally) but will be voting: You sit down and decide who has always supported you.”
The Former President offered a comparison of the expenditure on the Army by the two administrations that have held executive power in Guyana.
According to Jagdeo, by the end of the PNC’s tenure in Office in 1992, the total capital expenditure for the Army was less than the equivalent of the annual salary of the lowest paid rank currently in the military.
He stressed that at the time, the current Presidential Candidate of the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), Brigadier (Rt’d) David Granger, was a National Security Advisor to the then President, Forbes Burnham, while the Coalition’s current financial pointsman, Carl Greenidge, was the then Minister of Finance.
BALLOT BOXES
“How could they say they love you today and treated you with so much disdain,” said Jagdeo.
He reminded of a time when “soldiers didn’t have enough to eat in the military; they didn’t have equipment; they didn’t have clothing to wear; and you say that you love them today simply because you are ex-military men.”
The Former President in fact argues that the only legacy of Granger and his ex-military cohorts currently in the leadership of APNU “was to push them to steal ballot boxes.”
He said Granger’s legacy is the subversion of the professionalism of the Army, which forced “good career Officers in the Army to leave the country…They had to leave because they were bypassed by political commissars who were sent from the YSM.”
The YSM, is the Youth and Student Movement of the PNC, the party’s youth arm.
He suggested too that Granger’s legacy in the army also surround the 400 weapons that were issued to the PNC, some of which “have shown up with the criminals now…That is Granger’s legacy.”

FEAR
The ever animated public speaker, Jagdeo told the receptive supporters—also donning party colours and paraphernalia—“how can you say you love the Army today because you parade a couple ex-military men and then your track record with the Army and Police is so dismal.”
Jagdeo in his clarion call to the disciplined services, bellowed, “I say to the soldiers, I say to the policemen, do not listen to their rhetoric because they are trying to play on your fear.”
The former president explained his theory, saying the political opposition wants, “when they come on the streets, Soldiers and the Policemen will stay quiet, they wouldn’t do anything, they wouldn’t perform their duties, but I know the soldiers and the policemen.”
According to Jagdeo, the incumbent administration transformed the two security institutions into a “professional army, a professional police force and they will do their jobs.”
Such is the confidence of the former president in the ranks of the disciplined services, Jagdeo told the Region Three supports at the Stewartville Rally, “Come May 11, I am urging the soldiers: Think about this before you vote.”

OBSERVERS
Jagdeo also used the occasions to speak directly to the international observers in Guyana for the 2015 General and Regional Elections, currently being viciously contested between the incumbent, PPP/C and the coalesced APNU+AFC.
In his address, Jagdeo reminded that the APNU+AFC, Presidential Candidate, Granger has begun to question the Official list of voters.
“Three years they had of continuous registration, three years of claims and objections, not a word about the list and suddenly in the last three weeks the list is flawed.”
Jagdeo suggested this was the response of the opposition camp to the large numbers turning out at the various PPP/C meetings and rallies.
He surmised that the political opposition is, “preparing an excuse for their defeat and so we have to be vigilant.”
He said that during the 2011 Elections PPP/C polling agents were thrown out of the polling stations out by opposition members which led to a number of discrepancies over the accuracy of the votes tallied at those locations.
“We have to guard against that happening again…We know they often try to invade the polling stations in some areas in the afternoons.”

AFTER DARK
Jagdeo, in warning supporters, said, “As soon as it starts to turn dark, they will make an attempt; some of them to get into the Polling Stations to create confusion.”
As a result, according to Jagdeo, “the observers have to pay attention to that.”
Putting PPP/C supporters on standby also, the former president told the crowd, “you have to pay attention to that too because they will spare no means to try to win political power.”
This behaviour, Jagdeo said has been demonstrated in the past by the political opposition, “and they have not changed they will attempt it again if we let our guard down.”

PUBLISH PENALTIES
Jagdeo also called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to publish in the daily newspapers, every instruction handed down to the presiding officers, “so that they do not act capriciously.”
He said too that GECOM must also publish in the newspapers, “the penalties, the jail term that are associated with tampering with the poll and we must all prosecute those people who try to tamper with the poll.”
The former president was adamant, “we don’t rig the elections, we don’t rig elections, we don’t have to cheat to win but anyone who attempts to do this must face consequence.”
According to Jagdeo, “Comrades we need to be vigilante, we need the observers to be vigilant, we need the police and the military to understand the mind-game that is being played by APNU and the others.”
Jagdeo told his supporters to not pay heed to the intimidation and the tearing down of the party posters and campaign paraphernalia.
“Posters don’t win elections, votes do and we have those,” Jagdeo said, to a thunderous applause.

AGRICOLA UPRISING
Jagdeo also used the opportunity at the Stewartville podium to remind Region Three residents on the western end of the Demerara River of the events of October 12, 2012, commonly referred to as the Agricola Uprising, and laid blame squarely at the feet of the AFC.
He reminded that on the night before, the AFC handed an ultimatum to Head of State President Donald Ramotar, to remove Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, by midnight on October 11, 2012 or face the consequences.
Jagdeo said the entire ordeal had its genesis in the protests in Linden, Region 10, which, according to him, was orchestrated by the AFC.
“Guess what were the consequences? They blocked the road at Agricola… Do you remember that, the people of Region Three?” Jagdeo espoused to a vociferous response, “Yes!”
Jagdeo said, “Many of you will remember it because your mothers and sisters and children were over there (on the East Bank); they couldn’t get back home.”
Former President Jagdeo, in his address to the thousands in attendance said, “Many of you personally were over there. And what happened? They brought the thugs on the streets; pulled people from the vehicles; beat them up; break up their vehicles; drag some women out; feel them up.”
Jagdeo said the political opposition preaches that it has changed, and asked his supporters rhetorically, if this was the case and added that the PPP/C and its supporters need not go back into the far reaches of history, but rather simply to reflect on the events of two years ago.
He said the political opposition is counting on the supporters of the ruling administration having “short memories.”
The former president was adamant that the political opposition is unable to wish away the achievements of the incumbent administration over the years.

GRANGER NO OBAMA
Jagdeo also took a swipe at an advert from the APNU+AFC, which makes reference to US President Barack Obama’s exhortation of not being shackled by the past, and moving towards the future.
Obama was at the time making reference to the Cuba/USA relations, but Former President Jagdeo used the opportunity to observe that the US President had also at a recent activity marking the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement at the historic ‘Salem Bridge’ advocated that persons should not forget the past.
Nonetheless, Jagdeo is of the firm view that “Granger is no Obama; Obama never stole anyone’s votes; Obama didn’t give guns to his party.”

DRONE/COPTER
Jagdeo was but one of a litany of speakers to take to the PPP/C stage at the Stewartville Rally.
Yesterday’s activity formally got underway shortly after 15:30hrs when a large contingent of supporters marched to the venue, led by Minister Irfaan Ali and Party stalwart Ganga Persaud among other persons.
Complete with a drone and helicopter whirring above, thousands of supporters converged and inundated the Stewartville Sideline Dam and overflowing into every available plot of real estate from where they listened to the message of the PPP/C leadership.
The Shakti Strings Orchestra Band whipped the crowd into a frenzy ahead of Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali, who clearly enjoyed his role as Emcee for the Day.
Thandiki Smith, a young female doctor of Amerindian descent, was the first of the speakers to take to the podium yesterday afternnon, and she testified to the opportunities made available to her under the PPP/C administration.
According to the young doctor, who operates out of the West Demerara Regional Hospital, “The future is bright under the PPP.”
With the occasional verbal jousts in the direction of the political opposition, particularly its Prime Ministerial Candidate, Moses Nagamootoo, Minister Ali introduced to the podium to a resounding welcome applause, young businessman, Clinton Urling.
He told the gathering not to gamble the future of the country with “charlatans” and that the PPP/C was the only party with a coherent vision for the nation and its people.
Veteran trade unionist, Komal Chand, was another of the party stalwarts to appear on the PPP/C platform for the 2015 campaign and he told supporters, “you have to bring an end to this nonsense.”
According to Chand, the PPP/C is ready for the elections and further, has never been afraid of contesting an election.

GOLDEN BOY
Introduced as the ‘Golden Boy’, the aging Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon was also another crowd favourite, and he whipped the crowd into a frenzy with his exhalations of “Forward ever, backward never!”
He said the legacy of the PPP/C “is there for all to see,” adding his disbelief in the temerity of the opposition to even contest the 2015 polls.
According to Dr Luncheon, the APNU+AFC coalition was bold-faced and brazen to dare challenge the PPP/C at the polls.
Party General Secretary, Clement Rohee, also used his opportunity at the podium to remind Region Three supporters to guard their interests at the polling stations on Elections Day.
He said that on May 11, it will be a battle of two giants; a battle of good over evil, with the weapon of choice for the PPP/C being that of the ballot.
Redacting his ‘battle-of-the-giants’ analogy, Rohee surmised that the political race was in fact between a “thoroughbred” in the person of Head of State, Donald Ramotar and a “kangalang”, whom he referred to as the Opposition Presidential Candidate, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger.
Other speakers addressing the mammoth gathering at Stewartville yesterday were the PPP/C’s Presidential and Prime Ministerial Candidates, Donald Ramotar and Elisabeth Harper, both of whom spoke to the proposed policies, plans and proposals of the incumbent administration should it be reelected to office come May 11.

<dl class="gallery-item"><dt class="gallery-icon"></dt><dd class="gallery-caption">Fast becoming a PPP/C crowd favourite, businessman, Clinton Urling </dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item"><dt class="gallery-icon"></dt><dd class="gallery-caption">Emcee for the day, Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali</dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item"><dt class="gallery-icon"></dt><dd class="gallery-caption">No need to ask which party she is supporting come May 11 (Photos by Adrian Narine)</dd></dl>
<dl class="gallery-item"><dt class="gallery-icon"></dt><dd class="gallery-caption">A drone hovering above and recording the Stewartville Rally</dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item"><dt class="gallery-icon"></dt><dd class="gallery-caption">‘Golden Boy’ Dr Roger Luncheon, whips Region Three into a frenzy </dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item"><dt class="gallery-icon"></dt><dd class="gallery-caption">Head of State, Donald Ramotar, clearly enthused by the Stewartville response </dd></dl>
<dl class="gallery-item"><dt class="gallery-icon"></dt><dd class="gallery-caption">Dr Thandiki Smith testifies to opportunities afforded to her under the PPP/C administration </dd></dl>