Opposition Leader, of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday urged scores of sugar workers and their families not to lose hope as he articulated his concerns over what he believes is a systemic move by the incumbent Administration to destabilise the Opposition support base.
He noted that the APNU/AFC government has started the destabilisation with the sugar industry by putting close to 5000 sugar workers on the breadline.
Jagdeo, addressing a crowd at Enterprise Community Centre on the East Coast of Demerara, disclosed that the Government had begun unveiling parts of its systematic plan to undermine the support base of the Opposition with the aim of changing the demographics of the country.
He said that if the Government’s plan succeeded and people lost hope in those communities that were devastated and adversely affected by the decision to reduce the sugar industry and eventually close it, then Guyana’s future would be jeopardised.
“I warned on the campaign trail that this would have happened and it’s happening now…They want us to lose hope and to give up on the industry…they want people to migrate…so that they will (be able to) change the demographics of this country,” Jagdeo explained to the audience.
The Opposition Leader laid the blame for the woes being faced by 4763 workers squarely at the feet of President David Granger.
Jagdeo contended that the decision to fire thousands of workers without a clear plan was “not necessary” as he insisted that it was motivated by political ideology.
“I can’t find any other reason outside of the fact that they want people to migrate and change the voting pattern,” he also contended as he questioned why it was so hard for the Government to utilise one per cent of its budget to keep the industry going as it looked for solutions to deal with the problems facing the industry.
