By Fareeza Haniff
![A section of the crowd at the rally. [iNews' Photo]](https://i0.wp.com/www.inewsguyana.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/20150426_1757231.jpg)
During his address to thousands at the Party’s rally in Stewartville, West Coast Demerara on Sunday, April 26, the former President reminded the Army of the hardships they endured under the governance of the People’s National Congress (PNC).
As the disciplined services get set to vote on May 2, Jagdeo pointed out that there has been a major attempt to capture the hearts and minds of soldiers by the inclusion of ex – military people in the Opposition coalition – APNU+AFC.
“And I say to the soldiers and policemen…you sit down and decide who had always supported you. In 1990…the entire capital budget for the whole Army was $300,000. In 1991 that budget was $675,000 for the whole Army to buy equipment…in 1992 it was $6M.
“Today the salary of the lowest person in the Army, a Private, if we look at his yearly salary, it is bigger than the entire budget in the Army of 1990 and 1991,” Jagdeo told a riled up crowd.
In his appeal, he urged the servicemen not to listen to the “rhetoric” of the Opposition.
“How can they say they love you today and treated you with so much disdain? Soliders didn’t have enough to eat in the military, they didn’t have equipment, didn’t have clothing to wear.
“I say to the Army, I say to the policemen, do not listen to their rhetoric because they are trying to play on your fear. They want when they come on the streets, the soldiers and policemen will stay quiet, they wouldn’t do anything, they wouldn’t perform their duties.”
International Observers urged to be vigilant
Meanwhile, Jagdeo also urged the international observers in Guyana for the May 11 elections to be vigilant at all polling stations, alleging that ballot boxes were “stuffed” in some places during the 2011 elections.
“We know what happen in 2011. In some of the villages, where they threw our polling agents out or where we didn’t have polling agents, the vote went up from an average of 74% to 95%. They stuffed the boxes in those areas. We have to guard against that happening again,” Jagdeo noted.
In his message to the international observers, he also alleged that Opposition supporters are known to invade polling stations.
“And we know they often try to invade the polling stations in some areas in the afternoon…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. The observers have to pay attention to that… because they will spare no means to try to win political power.”
Additionally, the former President urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to publish every instruction given to presiding officers “so that they do not act capriciously and if they do, GECOM must publish in the newspapers the penalties and jail term associated with tampering with the poll.”
“We need the observers to be vigilany; we need the military and the police to understand the mind games that is being played by APNU and the others,” Jagdeo said.
Agricola violence
The former President also reminded the Party’s supporters of what took place in Agricola, East Bank Demerara on October 12, 2012. According to him, the night before, the Alliance For Change gave President Donald Ramotar an ultimatum to remove Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee and if not “you’re gonna see the consequences.”
“And guess what were the consequences. They blocked the road at Agricola. Do you remember that people of Region 3? And many of you will remember it because your mothers and sisters and children were over there. They couldn’t get back home and many of you personally were there. They brought thugs on the streets. Pull people from the vehicles, beat them up, broke up the vehicles; dragged some women out, feel them up, babies were crying.”
According to Jagdeo, the Party nor the people of Guyana have “short memories.
“And today they talk about change? We don’t need to go back to 28 years to find examples of PNC and AFC thuggery and they count on us having short memories but we don’t have short memories.”
Guys, Guys let us not waste too much time here The PPP will win this Elactions by far.
This HYPOCRITE has a convenient MIND.Thanks for reminding him about the LIES he continues to PEDDLE,a MOST DANGEROUS avenue to TRAVERSE ON.IT IS TIME,for him to leave GUYANESE ALONE.He is an embarrassment.GREAT JOB 75th Ranger Rgt.Kudos to YOU.
The APNU/AFC wants to take Guyana back to the dark period of our history of violence,racism and terror. Ee always have to be vigilant against these criminals leaders of the opposition.Granger should right now be in jail for the crimes he has committed against the people of this country,yet somehow we allow this criminal to run for office.
Only the democratic peace loving PPP will allow something like this to happen.
On may 11 we will give the PPP it’s deserved majority to continue the progress and prosperity of this nation.
All these HYPOCRITICAL pleas won`t help,you have done worse than that and continue to.You are a spent force,just waiting to be blown away.You can continue to live your BIG LIFE,nothing to fear.STOP SHEDDING CROCODILE TEARS.
With or without the armed forces votes the PPP have the vast majority of the electorate ,on it’s side ,that will give it it’s deserved majority come May 11.
None of us needs the Criminal gangs known as the APNU/AFC/PNC to ever hold po
The Army and Police know you were and continue to be their PRIME HYPOCRITE.You treated them like DIRT and with suspicion,now you`re begging for their votes.IT IS TIME,they give their VOTES to a government that deserves them.APNU/AFC.They will be BETTER OFF.
The Indians will vote mostly for apnu/afc because we NEED change
I remember in 1994 u.s$ was 125 to 1 so I don’t know what you talking about fool
Max well said…well ppp now saying they will fix corruption and security if elected..i often ask them…with what?? with same criminals they PPP hiring to fill public service jobs and army and police? let me give you some more prominent indians who remained silent to this day….
Anand Persaud: Glen Lall:Surujbally:Vishnu Persaud:Cris Ram:Ramjattan:Nagamoottoo:Ramkarran:Roopnarine:Fred Kissoon:Sasenarine Singh:Mike Persaud:TarranKemraj:Goolsarran:Gino Persaud.Yesu Persaud. Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr. Balram Persaud, Anand Goolsarran,,CN Sharma, Daizal Samad, Gerhard Ramsaroop, Ron Persaud, Dr Surendra Persaud…This is why I often ask PPP to allow citizens to defend self family property by issuing guns to all adults…These indians know that indians will not take these jobs..ppp knows it but does nothing about it..PPP left their main base supporters to be sitting ducks awaiting to be plucked sooner rather than later..
Is this chap Jagdeo for real? He insult, malaign and in general, cuss down the Army. Now is is asking them to vote for PPP. Jagdeo really takes the rest of the Guyanese population for granted; as he takes the mudheads in the PPP for granted.
Dr Jagdeo are you implying that they should have jailed Mr Gocol Budhoo, and Mr Odinga Labamba for their poling day infraction? Dr Jagdeo Guyana politics over the past 4 plus decades has seen it’s fair share of radicalism from both spectrum of the political arena , wasn’t it Dr Jagan that told the PPP supporters to burn the cane field,and stop planting rice at a time when Guyana depended on those commodities as its main source of foreign income? what has your Government done for Guyana in the last 23 years that you can run on ? it was Mr Hoyte , and Mr Grenidge economic recovery program that saw Guyana turn the corner in 92 ,which pave the way for majority of Guyana debt forgiveness, wasn’t it under the PNC that we witness the implementation of free and fair election ? Dr Jagdeo stop trying to insult the intelligence of the Guyanese people, communism dead just like Burnham , the world has changed, stop the fear mongering , and boogie man politics.
Trevis true and well said these fools going back in time, they forget we need to move on in life not stay in PARK ,,,you said it so right
Green you forget to mention Seelall Persaud,Balram Persaud, they did nothing, and still doing nothing for the indo American/ Canadian guyanese, the indo A/Cgt will jump and love Peeepeepee but they are all living and longing to get out and enjoy what so many of they indo brothers and sisters enjoying,how many indo men and women have to suffer under this government? Read the news, everyday another indo get shoot,robb,rape,or kill they self and nothing being done, they going going GONE.
I also hate having to respond to ignoramuses like yourself! However I thought I’d offer you an explanation. What don’t you understand about a private in the army salary in 1991 versus when the PPPC took office? It has nothing to do with dollar!!! It’s plain maths, something the PNC was never good at! The salary of a private today is greater than the entire budget of the army during the 1990-1991 period while we were still under your PNC rule!! As it relates to the dollar, after your Desmond Hoyte took office the USD to GYD went from $US1 = $80GYD to US$1 = $140GYD. That’s how much devaluation your PNC did to the Guyana currency and it continued to climb until it has evened off at the $200 area! Regarding the crime in Guyana, why did your PNC let the Dale Moore gang out of prison and provide them with the same high powered weapons that were missing from the army? The criminal offence was committed not to one single person but on this entire nation during that crime spree. This was orchestrated by your CRAPNU/PNC! This country has lived through extremely tough years under the PNC and today with the announcememt of many senior army and police personnel it appears that their intentions are to utilise military style tactics to take control of this country and again quench their thirst for power. Guyanese be very careful of a military coup with the APNU/AFC party!!!
I hear you Trevis, the man is desperate. I believe in 1990 the the US dollar was around 50 to 1. Today I am sure it is around two thousand. Before 1992, the army had their own vehicles, today they have to rent vehicles from civilians. I am sure this is a deliberate act on the PPP govt. to make the army toothless. Now they are asking for votes!!
all this is trash .
I so hate to hear jagdeo look who talking abt thugs jagdeo want jailing for all the criminals like he that didn’t get jail when he was president. And y he talking about salaries in the 90’s and now only smart persons would know a dollar in the 90’s and a dollar now is different matter of fact ask him y guyana don’t use the dollar anymore? They use to use it in the 90’s so what kinda foolish statement is that he’s pushing. I can’t wait until I see he get like 50years in prison
guyana security forces will vote pnc always..they will pay no heed to jagdeo despite him saying the truth about how pnc treat their very own like dogs back in those days.they will bite the hands that feed them always..its well known fact that nigel hughes give the orders to carry out the atrocities on east indians on agricola public road…but that was not the bitter part to swallow..east indians in guyana had been receiving their fair share of afro guyanese wrath not always political..the beauty of this agricola atrocity is that east indian men who are in power said nothing to stop it said nothing after it happened..men like ramkattan–nagamoottoo -ramkarran-glen lall and anand persaud..they remained silent..this tell you that it could very well happen again..simply because these powerful east indian men have their immediated family members all out of guyana already