Jagdep spreads fear at Albion Rally to win back Berbice
By Leon Susaran
“When they link up with the Military and come into your homes and start kicking the doors down and when they come after you, who is going to be there…?”
-Bharrat Jagdeo
PPP frontman in the election campaign, Bharrat Jagdeo told yesterday’s Albion rally of the ruling People’s Progressive Party that the opposition alliance with former military personnel is something to be feared.
“When they link up with the Military and come into your homes and start kicking the doors down and when they come after you, who is going to be there…?” he questioned.
He said that APNU has its entire Executive being dominated by ex-army ranks and officers. “There can be no professionalism as was done in the past.” He said Berbicians should feel fearful about that thought.
The presence of the former military people who have pledged their support to leader of the opposition coalition is being used to scare voters, APNU retorted.
One opposition leader said that people are not fools. If the former military people or today’s soldiers were to kick in people’s doors there is nothing to stop them from doing that today.
Instead, the army had been going after the criminals who have tormented the nation.
He said that Jagdeo is going to be reported to the commission and there is the possibility of criminal charges being laid against him for incitement and for creating tension.
Thousands converged at Albion Estate Road, Corentyne yesterday afternoon for a Grand Rally of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Much of those who attended were brought into the Ancient County, while others were trucked from far- away places such as Skeldon, East Bank Berbice and West Coast Berbice.
All of the speakers stressed how important it was for the PPP/C to regain the majority of votes in Berbice and pleaded with the electorate to give them back that majority taken by the Alliance For Change (AFC) during the last elections.
That situation in Berbice led Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya of the AFC to win a seat for Berbice in Parliament, leaving the PPP with just two seats from Berbice.
Motorcades departed Crabwood Creek, East Canje and East and West Berbice in the afternoon hours as supporters waving the party flags and dressed in the party t- shirts, traveled through to Albion.
As usual, the main political figures of the combined Opposition parties, David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo came in for a good tongue lashing.
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee during his address, surveying the crowd, said that he had a feeling that Guyana has returned to the 1992 era when the PPP was elected to office, while the crowds roared.
“This was the energy that existed in 1992…in 1997 and in 2001, from thereon to ensure that this juggernaut called the PPP can never be stopped!”
He said the PPP is a party of tremendous influence, “and has always stood on the side of the working class people of this country.”
He also told the gathering that the party has always stood by the side of working people especially women and the youths. “That is precisely why the people have always showed us confidence in every election!”
Rohee said that the PPP learnt its lesson after the 2011 elections when it lost the Parliamentary majority, “that we must never be complacent—we must never, ever take anything for granted.”
He said the past three years have been a “bitter experience” and that the party has learnt from the experience of 2011, “and the people—the workers, the farmers supporting the PPP have followed this party over the three years and they have seen and learnt their lessons.”
He cautioned the party faithful of possible opposition plans to not accept the election results and warned supporters to be vigilant. Those plans he said would not succeed. “Already, they are talking about a revolution and calling on their supporters to continue to do certain things, comrades!”
Rohee said that the PPP is prepared for any eventuality, “and we want to warn them not to invade any polling station or to hijack any ballot boxes because we will resist!”
He said that the PPP will not allow votes to be stolen or padded ballot boxes. Should that happen, Rohee said that “big trouble is ahead for them.”
Rohee said that the PPP won approximately 32,000 votes in Berbice in 2011 while the opposition won approximately 22,000 votes. “We have to win back a number of votes on different fronts,” he stressed. Firstly, he said, the party has to maintain the 32,000 votes they won and next, they have to win back the 9,000 votes they lost, “and thirdly we have to win over the 13,000 new votes that have been added to the (Official) List.
The job the party has to do in Berbice to achieve this, he added, is “monumental” to win 54,000 votes or more.
While the opposition is campaigning on ‘change’, Rohee told the crowds that people do not “change clean clothes for dutty clothes!” Change, he claimed, has been ongoing in the country, while he poked fun at the so- called marriage of the AFC and APNU by asking whether Granger or Nagamootoo would be on top (on the bed), as the crowds laughed and laughed.
Bharrat Jagdeo lambasted Granger and Nagamootoo. Granger, he claimed, has denied that elections were ever rigged in Guyana, while Nagamootoo who sits on the same platform, “embraces this man and looks into his eyes with love….”
He accused Nagamootoo of betraying the women and mothers and struggles of many whom he claimed went through Opposition violence.
“Granger rigged his own elections in the PNC twice! His own members complained about it! They (are) going around today bullying businessmen, telling them that if they don’t give them money for their campaign, we will deal with you in the future.”
Then he went to Nagamootoo, whom he described as a megalomaniac, who loves to talk about himself. “Sixty per cent of his speech at Whim was about him—how nice he is; how loving he is…how nice marriage he has with Granger—silly, silly, silly!!”
He urged Berbicians to go to every home in their villages, “and you must become the shock groups of the PPP—you must be more hyped up than Freedom House, because they are already questioning the (Official) List (of Electors)—we are glad that President (Jimmy) Carter is here…..because we have nothing to fear…we don’t rig elections.” He said that if the (PPP) victory is decisive, the Opposition will have to, “go into their corners and accept the results.”
Other speakers at the rally yesterday included President Donald Ramotar; Prime Ministerial Candidate, Mrs. Elisabeth Harper; and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. The rally was chaired by PPP/C Executive Secretary, Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha.