The PPP’s welcoming of former mayor and PNCR member, Patricia Chase-Green, into its fold although she was critical of it and was a central figure in the controversial parking meter contract, is because it is a forgiving party and believes in giving second chances, party General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo says.
That the former Mayor never denounced the blatant attempt at rigging the 2020 elections was also not used against her, since the party executives believe that she was never a vocal person during that period, coupled with the fact that it does not single out anyone for not siding with it and that only “duplicitous” persons faced its criticisms.
However, Jagdeo made it clear that if the former mayor is found culpable for her acts in the parking meter case, for which government is facing a US$100 million lawsuit before a US arbitration panel, she would have to deal with those consequences.
“Yes, it is true we have been critical of some people, [but] we don’t pick random people and start criticizing them for saying nothing. It is the ones that are being selective. Chase-Green didn’t say much then, but she didn’t say much subsequently either. It is the duplicity for all of these, who don’t even know the issue, but come out and criticise the PPP on democracy,” Jagdeo explained yesterday at a press conference held at Freedom House.
“We didn’t go and single out people to criticize people in this country it is the ones that are duplicitous and politically motivated. On the parking meter, yes, Chase-Green was a central player. But as I have said before, if she is found culpable in any way whatsoever, she will have to deal with the consequences,” he added.
Chase-Green’s joining with the PPP has raised eyebrows. She was a strong critic of the PPP for the years she was on the council. She first entered the City Council in 1994 on the Hamilton Green-led list, A Good and Green Guyana (AGGG).
She eventually switched from AGGG to the PNCR and was elected Mayor on several occasions after A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) won a majority at the 2016 polls. After the 2018 Local Government elections, APNU replaced her with the incumbent Ubraj Narine.
Chase-Green was one of the key figures on the 2016 Mayor and City Council behind the sealing of the controversial parking meters deal for which the government is now facing a major lawsuit.
In the APNU+AFC stronghold of Constituency 14, South Ruimveldt/Ruimveldt Industrial Estate, of South Georgetown, she had won her seat and her contesting now will be a key test of whether the PPP can make inroads into traditional opposition strongholds.
The PPP General Secretary noted that Chase-Green’s crossover to the party is nothing new in the political realm of this country as his party currently has ministers and high level officials who were not always supportive of it.
He said that the PPP rationalizes the bigger issue and understands that it is dealing with humans who make mistakes and also have a right to choose who they support.
Using examples of current government officials that the PPP has welcomed, Jagdeo said that the public can judge it on its track record.
“We don’t let one issue define how we relate to people. If we did that [we would not be here]. Chase-Green-was part of the GGG at the beginning. Let me tell you some of the other people that came to the PPP from the GGG. Edghill [Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill]… today Edghill is one of the leading members of Cabinet and minister of one of biggest ministries. A next person? Joe Hamilton. He is the Minister of Labour, today [you see] upward mobility,” he asserted.
“When I spoke with the candidates [I told them] we want positive (people) coming to us. People who are ambitious, who want to build a home and own a car and go on vacation. We don’t want dodos,” he added.
He said that he is not ashamed of enticing persons to come to the party’s fold as a better life affords them there and he doesn’t want anyone in turn be ashamed of wanting to come to support or for guidance. “We believe in that. Hamilton came… It shows you can work your way up in this party, even if you came from another party. Kwame was a member of GGG too and Kwame McCoy is a minister today. People see that,” he stressed.
Jagdeo said that his party is never ungrateful for the support poured out to it, and the opposition could not say the same because he has evidence of it shunning its staunch supporters after getting into office.
“In 2018, people who poured out their lives for the PNC [were ignored]…Some said to me,’ ‘not only that soon as they got into office they failed to recognize us, and now our lives are worse…we look at people who came to the PPP and they all have upward mobility”, Jagdeo said.
He added: “Chase-Green may have this thing with the parking meter, and I looked at it too but look at how many people you have with some grave [transgressions]. We are a party that moves on. We believe that people have chances, second chances. We believe in that second chance… our party is open minded and a broad based party,” he asserted.
