…says voters should reject PNC/APNU’s ideology of dividing people
In what were the closing stages of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) Local Government Election (LGE) 2023 campaign, President Dr Irfaan Ali contrasted his party’s founding philosophy of development with the People’s National Congress’s (PNC) founding philosophy of divisiveness. Contrasting philosophies, he said, are evident even today.
During his address to party supporters at Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Saturday, President Ali gave the audience a brief history lesson to impress on them the different foundations on which both the PPP and the PNC were built. The PPP, he said, was founded by former President Dr Cheddi Jagan in 1950 as the first mass party of unity in the country; and the PNC was founded by former President Forbes Burnham in 1957 in a move that divided the PPP.
“What I felt in New Amsterdam was what the PPP felt in 1950 when we were formed with a common goal and a common vision. That was to bring every single Guyanese on a common platform of development, freedom, and advancement of human dignity. That is what the PPP felt in 1950. That is the founding philosophy of the PPP/C,” Ali said.
“And what happened when external forces (intervened)? The PNC was formed on a founding philosophy of dividing the PPP, of dividing the people; of using race and ethnicity to divide the people here in Guyana. That is the foundation, the political philosophy through which the PNC was formed, as against the philosophy through which the PPP was formed,” he explained.
President Ali has urged voters to make their rejection of the PNC/R’s divisiveness clear, when they cast their ballots on June 12, by voting for the PPP/C. According to him, the elections are also about choosing between two philosophies.
“Today, with every single ounce of energy that reside in myself and this government, the stronger they come with their divisive politics, the stronger they come with their use of race and ethnicity, the stronger we’ll fight them, the stronger we’ll push against them. And I assure you that we will dismantle their efforts of dividing the people of this country,” he said.
“The only thing that must drive the people of this country must be the facts, must be reality, must be those who do in the interest of the people. And today you’re choosing between two philosophies,” President Ali further said.
President Ali further recalled an experience he had while walking through Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara (WCD) when he was locked out from a community ground by the APNU-controlled council.
It was not the first time that a senior PPP/C Government official had been locked out of a community building by the Opposition, as, in November 2022, Public Service Minister Sonia Parag was locked out of the Belladrum Community Centre by APNU officials, despite the minister being there at the request of residents.
“I am the President of the country, and they sought to lock the gate of the Community Centre. And why? Because I was there to speak to the people directly about their development, their interests, their priorities. What did we do? We did not allow them to succeed. We continued on the journey of talking to people directly,” he said.
“In Plaisance, they sent all kind of messages that the President dare not walk in that village. With ease comrades, we walked it! And today, the people of Plaisance listened to us. They gave us the opportunity to tell them our message. Our message is about love. It’s about unity. It’s about prosperity. We don’t need to mount any campaign and carry a message of race and division, because we would be betraying the founding philosophy of the PPP/C,” he explained.
The current ruling PPP/C is contesting all 610 constituencies in the 80 LAAs across the country. Reports are that the APNU is only contesting 260 of the 610 constituencies, while groups and individuals are contesting, outside of those 260 areas, in another 58 constituencies. This means that APNU and other groups or individuals are contesting a total of 318 constituencies in 67 LAAs.
PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo had said that his party has essentially won those 292 uncontested constituencies and 13 LAAs.
At the last LGE, held in November 2018, the then PPP/C Opposition had secured 52 of the 80 LAAs. This had followed the holding of the 2016 Local Government polls, wherein the PPP/C had also claimed the majority of the LAAs.
