The volatile period in Guyana’s history ended a long time ago and credit must be given to the ruling party and the founder of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Cheddi Jagan.
This is according to President Bharrat Jagdeo who yesterday addressed a gathering at Babu John, Port Mourant, Berbice, the burial site of former President of Guyana and founder of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Jagan. It was his 14th death anniversary.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the President stated, “Today this country is free, this country has democracy… people don’t get persecuted because of what they say against the government. We don’t starve people because they don’t support us. We don’t stop doing infrastructural work in their communities because we feel they may support the PNC. We don’t do that because we see them as Guyanese”.
He stated that to relive such a past would be to the detriment of the country and against the principles of the party’s founder, the primary task of bringing people together.
The Head of State declared his belief that the task of bringing people together must remain the primary objective, especially in the fight against hunger and poverty and made a special appeal for the generation of today to educate themselves about the troubling period in Guyana and be vigilant of those who today come in the guise of agents of democracy.
He said, “Be careful of these bigoted news organisations that are intent on creating strife.
Some of the journalists in Rwanda because they generated racism and hatred, they led to maybe one million people being killed through a civil war. I think we should take some action against some of these journalists by asking the United Nations to set up a Tribunal to investigate some of them.” He did not name any news organization or journalist.
“Most of you are aware that events around the world are often closely scrutinized here. We have to be relevant to ensure that those events do not negatively affect our well-being both politically and in the economic plane,” President Jagdeo said.
Speaking to the gathering, which included Cabinet Ministers, party supporters and family members of the late President, the Guyanese Head of State recalled the era when people were persecuted and jailed because of beliefs that were often contrary to the regime of the day.
“They were starved of food… and when just having bread made from wheat in your home could land you in jail. That was the era of repression, the lack of democracy. That was the era of Egypt,” President Jagdeo said.
GINA further reported that President Jagdeo named some political elements running for the presidency who were active in the era when people were victimised for exercising their democratic rights. The GINA report did not identify anyone.
According to GINA, the President also stated that a government for the people is a government that serves the people and not one bent on holding on to power. He alluded to Government’s efforts at modernising the economy over the years as evidence of his administration’s commitment to service.
Mention was made of the Berbice River Bridge, the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, the Skeldon Sugar Factory and the impending deep water harbour.
“This country makes progress that doesn’t come out of the air it comes out of painstaking work every day and the progress has to be incremental. We can’t be poor one day and rich the next day. Every day we work to improve lives,” the President argued.
According to GINA, the ceremony was marked by wreath laying at the burial site and accolades in the form of songs and the reading of excerpts from Dr Jagan’s famous quotations and books.
Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds and General Secretary of the PPP, Donald Ramotar also spoke.
.
