In front of several hundreds gathered last evening at the Square of the Revolution for an APNU campaign rally, WPA co-leader Dr Rupert Roopnaraine made an overture to the “good” members of the ruling PPP to join the coalition as its gears up to contest the 2011 regional and general elections.
“To the good and true members of the PPP—yes there are still good and true people in the PPP—those who cherished the ideals of Dr [Cheddi] Jagan, those who care about the working people…Get off the Jagdeo express, it is heading for a train wreck,” Roopnaraine said. Dr Jagan’s ideals, he added, were being trampled upon daily by the same people who were claiming “to worship him.”
“Government members and supporters of the PPP, there is a place for you in the government of national unity,” Roopnaraine added. “Separate yourself from the mafia, the money launderers, the narcotics brigade, the fraudsters and racketeers in Queens, New York. Separate yourselves, they will not be welcomed in a government of national unity,” he warned, to a resounding applause.
“Come over to the side of righteousness. Come and Join the fight for social justice and clean government. Come and build a land of racial harmony, where we can live happily side by side, where we can put our shoulders to the wheel and where our labour will be rewarded because we will hold the reins of government,” he said.
He also encouraged those present to turn out in their numbers to vote at the upcoming elections, saying that the PPP had managed to stay in power at the last elections, in part, because of the low voter turnout. He urged those present to make full use of the reopening of the Claims and Objections period.
Last evening’s rally was the first public event that the coalition has held in the city since its official launch two Friday’s ago and it drew a crowd which filled more than half of the Square of Revolution.
Roopnaraine said that the players in the APNU will be producing a dossier on corruption, similar to the one it had earlier produced on unlawful judicial killings. “We will compile a dossier on corruption and we will place very close attention to places like the Ministry of Housing,” he said. Roopnaraine pledged that an APNU will conduct forensic audits of all ministries and departments and all persons found guilty of wrongdoing will be brought before the courts.
Dressed in his now trademark green long-sleeve shirt, APNU presidential candidate David Granger was introduced by his wife Sandra Granger, who spoke glowingly about his life of service to the country. When he took the podium, Granger said that this was a critical junction in the country’s history and emphasised that change is needed. Noting that PPP/C presidential candidate Donald Ramotar has sought to attack his military record, Granger said that he cannot respond by attacking Ramotar’s record as an economist because he has none. “My differences with Mr Ramotar are not personal…my differences with Mr Ramotar are with his policies and the policies he is proposing in his campaign,” he said. “Ramotar does not stand for change when he promises to continue what Bharrat Jagdeo has been doing,” he said. “This country must change or it will collapse,” he warned.
“Donald Ramotar is a proxy candidate. He is really running for Bharrat Jagdeo’s third term,” Granger said. He also criticised AFC presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan, who he said was similar to Ramotar. He said that both Ramotar and Ramjattan went to the same school and speak the same language of a past era. This, he said, is why they want to continue with the same winner take all approach.
WPA executive member Dr David Hinds, who was the first of five speakers, announced the beginning of “Operation Take Back Guyana.” Referring to the APNU as a powerful symbol, he noted that the movement included the PNC and the WPA, two parties which had big differences in the past but have transcended their difference and have come together in the interest of the country.
He said that the APNU was going to take back Guyana through a government of national unity. “The measure of a democracy is not just by how you are elected but how you behave when you govern. That is the measure of a democracy,” he said.
“Now you cannot be a democracy if you covet the national treasury for you and your lackeys. You cannot be a democracy when you appropriate ancestral lands to build your palaces and your monuments. You cannot be a democracy if you govern by driving fear in the people of your country. You cannot be a democracy if you do not feed your people, if you do not give them jobs…” he stated.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) consists of the PNCR, WPA, the GAP, the NFA, the Guyana People’s Partnership (GPP), the Guyana National Congress (GNC) and the Guyana Asso-ciation of Local Authorities. Last evening it was announced that the National Democratic Front (NDF) led by Joseph Bacchus has joined the movement. Additionally, some young people who are part of the Youth Groundings of the WPA along with some from civic Society endorsed the APNU in a brief presentation.
The rally was preceded by marches by various groups of supporters who converged at the Square of the Revolution. PNCR-1G MP Dawn Hastings and PNCR Vice Chairman Basil Williams also spoke at the rally, while there were several cultural items.