President Donald Ramotar lays a wreath at the burial site of former President Dr Cheddi Jagan during his 16th death anniversary commemoration at Babu John, Port Mourant, Berbice

Opposition’s actions similar to those used to subdue Dr Jagan - President Ramotar

Opposition politicians and their parties came in for criticism from President Donald Ramotar who highlighted a number of their traits that he said are similar to those used to subdue President Cheddi Jagan when he was leading the struggle for democracy in Guyana.

Speaking at the People’s Progressive Party founder leader’s 16^th death anniversary at Babu John, Port Mourant, Berbice today, President Ramotar, spoke of slander, media attacks and betrayals, all of which Dr Jagan endured during his political life.

President Donald Ramotar lays a wreath at the burial site of former President Dr Cheddi Jagan during his 16th death anniversary commemoration at Babu John, Port Mourant, Berbice

A letter appearing in the print media labelling Janet Jagan as the brains behind Dr Cheddi Jagan was singeled out by President Ramotar as having racial connotations similar to “the colonial propaganda against Cheddi Jagan”.

Using Bob Marley’s famous line “emancipate yourself from mental slavery” from Redemption Song, President Ramotar said “it’s a racist propaganda trying to say that only white people have brains, and those of us non-whites were incapable of governing ourselves.”

Pesident Donald Ramotar speaking at the 16th death anniversary of Dr Cheddi Jagan at Babu John, Port Mourant, Berbice

Sections of the media have come under criticism by the government for leading a malicious campaign  in line with opposition forces to undermine development, and according to President Ramotar, win political influence.

Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, chair of today’s proceedings who was the subject of a no confidence motion and a gag order in the one seat opposition majority parliament, was assured by President Ramotar that he (Rohee) is in good company as Dr Jagan was silenced for five years while on the opposition benches.

The Tenth parliament has not been smooth sailing for the government side with a number of its legislation rejected and the business of the House stalled because of unnecessary grandstanding.

A section of the gathering at Babu John, Port Mourant, Berbice at the 16th death anniversary of Dr Cheddi Jagan

President Ramotar told the gathering at Babu John that the ramblings in the Parliament are a clear indication of the opposition attempting to derail legislative democracy with their one seat majority.

“We see that reality happening now in the first instance to elect the Speaker and deputy speaker, they took them both… every area we see them doing these things, passing bills that are unconstitutional,” President Ramotar said.

The unconstitutional nature of the opposition’s actions in the National Assembly was recently vindicated when the Chief Justice ruled that the National Assembly has no authority to reverse  the rights of a member. The Linden Commission of Inquiry (COI) report also exonerated Minister Rohee from the alleged misdemeanors that were levelled against him by the opposition.

Reference was also made to the Agricola protest that President Ramotar said was fuelled by the opposition and a high level of dishonesty demonstrated, when Alliance for Change (AFC) member Moses Nagamootoo denied voting in favour of the President’s Pension Bill, putting himself in disrepute when the facts proved otherwise.

What would Cheddi Jagan have done in the face of these current challenges was the question asked by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who was also part of today’s commemorative event.

“Cheddi would have called on us to keep on working selflessly to the best of our abilities for the good of our country and all our people. He would have called on us to keep on reaching out as he did,” Prime Minister Hinds said.

After laying the first wreath at Dr Jagan’s Babu John, Port Mourant burial site, next to which his spouse Janet Jagan also rests, the incumbent General Secretary said the PPP-C has been kept alive by the tenets of Dr Jagan.

“He was a man of principles, with high ideals, but at the same time he was a very practical man… that is why we could have survived because of the quality of leadership that he gave and the teachings he gave us,” President Ramotar said.

The party has agreed to the theme “Cheddi Jagan: a man of the people” as the hallmark for the commemorative event each year and will mark the occasion with activities spanning the entire month of March.

His anniversary also coincides with several others to be observed this year like the 250^th Berbice slave rebellion, the 100th anniversary of the  Rose Hall uprising, the 175^th anniversary of the abolition of slavery and East Indian arrival and the 60^th anniversary of free and fair elections.