Former President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday used the Cheddi Jagan Memorial event at Port Mourant, Berbice to urge sugar workers to rise up against the closure of estates and he charged that the APNU+AFC government was intimidating businesspersons.
In a style reminiscent of speeches he gave during the 2011 and 2015 general elections, Jagdeo called on the citizenry to be wary of the “silent intimidation” tactics being used, saying that persons need to be vigilant, vocal and prepared to take to the streets in protest on a number of issues.
Top of his list of national issues were the State Asset Recovery Unit’s actions against the business community and the closing down of sugar estates.
“There is a pattern, what we are witnessing is an insidious campaign to drive fear into various sections of our population. They believe that if we behave fearful then we would act in a manner that would allow them to ruin this country long into the future even if they lose the popular support of people….If we add it together we can see some clear trends emerging, they want to drive fear,” he told the over 1,500 persons who attended the event yesterday.
“It is designed to condition our minds so that we don’t stand up as a country… that is what we must not allow to succeed because if that succeeds this country will lose all the freedoms that we have gained over the past years…”, the PPP General Secretary said.
Starting with the complaint by a Berbice businessman about the questioning by government’s State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) employees over a deal he made with another businessman, Jagdeo tried to show the nexus between the questioning and a plan to keep the business community quiet over ills meted out to them.
“Why is it that (SARU), will take a businessman into the Office of the President Compound, when it has no legal authority to do so? The reason is simple; fear. They want to drive fear into the business community. If these businesspersons are to take a stand in this community they will be afraid of the repressive tools that they use; the Burnahmite tools,” Jagdeo asserted.
Turning to the sugar industry, Jagdeo called on Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) workers to rise up so that estates are not closed and government has a change in its stance for the major diversification plans it has. He told the audience, which included many sugar workers who arrived on GuySuCo trucks, that threats of closure of estates was also to drive fear and silence in them while their livelihood is snatched from them.
He believes that the economy can continue to subsidise sugar and that the plan to diversify was to cripple the advocacy of sugar workers on local politics.
“Why is it that sugar workers when they now go on strike; a routine thing provided by law (that) they’re told that if you do this we will shut down the factory it is against the law. It is again to drive fear into the minds of sugar workers so they become less militant so they won’t want to take protest action because if they do they will have consequences.”
But he told the sugar workers that they were not new to strikes and vocal criticisms because during his government’s tenure there were many and likewise there should be the same now. “The sugar workers have to be prepared to take to the streets too. You have to be prepared mentally. Sugar workers used to strike when the PPP was in office. We need to see that now too,” he said.
Reasoning that if poor performing sugar estates were not profitable they should not be seeing interested buyers from around the world, Jagdeo said that government does not want the public to know of the potential electricity generating capacity at the Skeldon estate and Enmore packaging plant. He called the two estates “prizes” that government wants to quietly sell off. The government has signalled that the Skeldon estate will be the first to be sold and it also wants the Enmore and Rose Hall estates shuttered.
“$32 Billion in 3 years is affordable in a $700 Billion budget for three years…but the president has made it clear that he doesn’t want sugar…the president doesn’t want to spend a single dollar on sugar…sugar is not a company, sugar is an industry . This is a political decision plain and simple,” he added to the shouts of agreement from the crowd.
Though much of his speech focused on a plan for winning the 2020 general elections, the two-term President did not touch on the controversial question of whether he would seek a third run for presidential office.
The only reference made to a third term was by PPP Secretary Zulficar Mustapha who in his introduction of Jagdeo said, “I am very optimistic and I know that come again the next election he will lead us to victory.” His words were met by cheers for Jagdeo with some persons chanting “Third Term”.
The Opposition Leader told supporters that from now until 2020 they have to focus on the two key policies; “re-invent ourselves by broadening etcetera and re-energise”.
Re-energising encompasses supporters keeping attuned to current affairs such as the issue surrounding the selection of a new Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
“Comrades we have a bigger problem ahead of us. One that is also insidious and can lead to the destruction of our democracy and this is the appointment of the chairman of GECOM. We believe the President’s interpretation (of how the choice is made) is wrong. We have seen all the shenanigans,” he stressed.
Jagdeo said that he read a news item yesterday where it was said that he has agreed to submit a second list of names for Chairman but if that list is rejected by the government, President David Granger will unilaterally appoint a chairman and that the constitution allows him to do such.
“That is not true. The constitution does not allow him to unilaterally appoint a chairman and we think this is where they want to head; a unilateral appointment of a chairman so they can upset the delicate balance at GECOM. If they upset that balance it will mean major, major problems for us in the future and we in the PPP we will not take that sitting,” he warned.
“We will have to hit the streets and make sure the government does not take it through because we will never will able be to have a free and fair election if they put one of their cronies there. Watch how it evolves because we will be asking you to look at it.”
He promised to be a valiant leader and asked for the fearless backing of the nation as he fights for a Guyana that would benefit all. Said Jagdeo, “People are looking to the People’s Progressive Party for leadership in this country and we must offer the leadership and we can’t offer that leadership if we are fearful ourselves. We are the only party that stands up now between this government and dictatorship.
“Don’t be intimidated. Don’t be fearful… We have to respond by doing a number of things. We have to strengthen this PPP family because if we are strong we can move mountains. Wherever you are, lend a helping hand to create the strongest PPP yet. Get your older comrades, women, young people, everyone …because if we are strong on the ground that is what they are afraid of,” he added.
