Member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes told supporters at a rally at Bath, West Coast Berbice yesterday that if government could not protect its minister, Satyadeow Sawh, then it could not protect them.
In his call for a change of government at the upcoming elections, Hughes said that the government has done nothing to protect them from criminal elements.
He promised the large gathering that comprised mostly sugar workers, farmers and housewives that the AFC would protect every citizen regardless of which race or political party they come from.
Presidential candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan assured the supporters that despite claims by the government that the AFC would join with APNU – A Partnership for National Unity – his party would maintain its independence.
He said they would take “personalities from the PPP and APNU and let the AFC become a better PPP and a better PNC in one unity called Alliance For Change.”
He said the AFC wanted “elderly guidance and we have found that in Moses Nagamootoo” who is a “champion for the working class,” especially the sugar workers.
Ramjattan said that the government, apart from wasting money has been hiding some “billions of dollars in what is called slush funds… and we have indicated to our accountants and economists to find it and we have found it.”
He said that “with that money, over $6B, we can add to that [and] the lotto funds.” He lamented that they had come out with a commitment to increase sugar workers‘ pay by 20% and the government decided to give an 8% increase for workers.
Along with former member of the PPP, Nagamootoo, he said they would also use the money that the government is wasting to pay a set of “advisors” and for “overseas trips” to pay the workers.
Nagamootoo who referred to the AFC as the rainbow coalition of decent people, said he and Sasenarine Singh left the PPP because he could not “stand the dirt and corruption…”
He told the gathering that “if you were a PPP supporter and if your heart and your emotions have been with the cup you would not lose your conscience. If you decided to cross the Red Sea with me and leave Pharoah behind then we would all enter the promised land together.”
“You have no duty and responsibility towards them [PPP]; you can walk because apart from breaking promises they have committed crimes against you.”
He said the late president Cheddi Jagan had a lean and clean government. He was committed to the poor and the downtrodden, especially sugar workers and their families.
Referring to the “hardworking sugar workers,” he said when they had reached their target and asked for five per cent increase “Jagdeo said last year, not a cent more.” He said too that when the sugar workers went on strike the government threatened to “break the backbone of the sugar workers” by banning their union, GAWU.
When Jagan died, he said “we started to have rigged elections in the PPP. I know Dr Jagan had he lived he would have shed blood for tears to see the disgrace that has been brought and the best flowers of the PPP have been weeded out…”
According to him, Jagdeo “has no respect for no one” and that members of the party called him [Nagamootoo] names like Judas, a soup drinker and a Naga Dog.
He said they accused him of betraying their friends when he called for an investigation against former Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj.
Nagamootoo said too that he had called for an investigation against corruption and when guns were given out to people, and they refused.
According to him, they decided to “plant a lie“ because I constantly called on the party to go back to the lean and clean days of Dr Jagan…”
Meanwhile, Hughes said that the president had called him a racist but “I want to tell Bharrat that any time, any place, anywhere in this country and any neighbourhood I will put my background against his and beat him.”
He said the president was busy running around and cursing persons like Freddie Kissoon because “we give him the power of king and emperor” and “he cannot be sued.”
Hughes said too that Jagdeo called the media carrion crows and vultures was because “he was so blind he did not realize that the only reason he would see a carrion crow and vulture was because he is dead meat.”
