Under aged children used for political gains

Dear Editor, Please allow me to share what I observed has been happening here in Region Five now that election is fixed and the race is about to begin. On January 31, I observed that the PPP\C is on the move with hundreds of children decked in their PYO shirt and a slogan at the back saying “Dream Team”. They were at the Rosignol Market and in the surrounding areas during the day doing political work.  Moreover I observed that the Minister of Housing just showed up, ate a box of food and after a brief chat with the young children, he left. The RDC officials of the region were as active as ever doing their party work rather than doing the work we the tax payers are paying them to do. On February 1, last, I observed the same happening with the youths but this time in the Bath Settlement area.  I was told that the PYO is promoting a Health and Softball Cricket at the Bath ground that day. Lo and behold! I was surprised what took place instead. As I entered Bath Community Ground I saw lots of PPP\C regional officials and PYO members from all over and was told they came from all parts of Guyana for this event. So I went in wearing my AFC T-Shirt and sat on the pavilion to see what’s happening and why so many underage people are being use as political shields for the PPP\C.  Of that number of youths there almost 90 per cent will not vote because they are young and in school. As I sat to look at the games, I observed more young people coming from all directions into the ground with their PYO shirts and when asked where they coming from one of the youths told me that they were sent to do house to house work for the PPP\C in the area and that she’s tired and there is no water. However as I looked around I was wondering where is the health competition and when will it start.  But then came the Minister of Housing decked with his sports uniform around 1:30pm and called all the PYO members to have lunch. Imagine the youths are in the fields from about 9am and the PPP\C is giving them something to eat in the afternoon.  I call that abuse. When I left the ground it was almost 3:25pm and there was no health fair.  The PPP\C tried to brainwash the people in Bath Settlement but this time they failed because the turnout was very small. It is criminal for the PPP\C to use those young under age youths for political gains. I will say that can be consider as child labour because children had to work under the orders that were given to them by the Minister and his cabal.  What is sad is to hear this government say that there is hardly child labour in Guyana when the party itself is involved in promoting child labour through using under age children for political work. I also observed that the Region Five RDC vehicles were used to transport the young underage kids from one point to the next.  How can the chairman and his cabal use our tax dollars to do their party work? Let the PPP\C provide vehicles for such.

Abel Seetaram AFC Executive