In his final public pitch to the electorate before tomorrow’s poll, Alliance For Change (AFC) presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan last evening urged Guyanese to remain focused on electing his party so that it can change the culture of corruption and indecency that has gripped Guyana.
“Come November 28th we have to do something about the corruption and indecency among us,” he said, emphasizing that a Ramjattan-led administration would ensure that “the fruits of the economy” will be shared equally among Guyanese.
“Guyana is too rich for us to remain poor. But we have remained poor because of bad leadership and that bad leadership also was a result of bad followership. But I now notice in this generation— this 2011 generation— we are getting together to ensure we have good followership,” he said, to the thousands in attendance at the Parade Ground. The size of the crowd fluctuated during the course of the rally, but at its peak, it filled the Burnham Basketball Court and spilled on to the road lining a section of Middle Street.
“Our destiny tomorrow depends on the personal choices you have to make come 28th November. Our future depends on you thinking before you ink and of course there has got to be reason. When you would have done all of that brothers and sisters, you would have come down to the conclusion that what Moses Nagamootoo has done by coming on the AFC, what [Dr Richard] van West-Charles has done; what [Valerie] Garrido-Lowe has done is the correct thing and you’re going to put your ‘X’ next to the key.”
Ramjattan also paid tribute to Sheila Holder, one of the founding members of the party, who died on Sunday after a period of illness. Holder, the AFC’s original prime ministerial candidate for this election, was buried yesterday in New York. Hailing the tremendous work she had done in Parliament to represent the people of Guy-ana, he pointed to attempts she had made to allow residents of Linden access to more than just the state-owned National Communi-cations Network (NCN) as well as her effort to achieve more transparency in the distribution of old-age pension by the Ministry of Human Services. “If for one reason you must vote for the AFC, it is to bring home the victory for Sheila Holder,” Ramjattan said to applause from the crowd.
The party’s presidential candidate also called on his supporters to be vigilant in the hours ahead urging them to be aware of attempts by the incumbent PPP/C party to create confusion. The PPP/C, he said, is running scared and may attempt to do “mischievous things” such as pandering to ethnic insecurities. He said that this tactic by the PPP/C had worked to some degree at the 2006 elections, but he expressed confidence that voters this time around will not be intimidated.
“The war of political hatred, bigotry and revenge is over,” AFC leader and presidential candidate Raphael Trotman declared. He said that the AFC had planted “a seed” five years ago and expressed his full confidence that the “seed” had now fully matured.
While lamenting the loss of Holder, Trotman urged supporters “to press on” as she would have wanted them to do. And according to him, the leadership of the AFC is now stronger due to presence of Nagamootoo and van West-Charles who he said were there to offer guidance.
Meanwhile, Trotman criticized the opposition coalition A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) saying that it did not campaign in certain areas as if leaving it to the AFC to do damage to the PPP/C in these areas. The APNU he said should have “canvassed the entire country”, emphasizing that this is what the AFC had done.
Urging supporters to be vigilant and prayerful, Trotman appealed to all the party’s supporters to vote early. He called on supporters not to be content with just voting and encouraged them to round up their neighbours and friends as well.
Former PPP member Moses Nagamootoo express-ed confidence at an AFC victory at the polls. “The PPP has lost Berbice,” he declared, to a resounding applause and music. “Change must come,” Nagamootoo, who was greeted with confetti and handed a ‘rod’ as he approached the podium, declared. “Use your ‘X’ as a weapon of change,” he told the animated gathering.
Nagamootoo also dismissed the results by polls conducted by Vishnu Bisram saying that they had no credibility. Bisram, he said, is closely aligned with the PPP/C. He also lashed out at the APNU, saying that during the past years PNCR Leader Robert Corbin was ineffectual. “Jagdeo was the person that has been in bed with Corbin for the longest time,” he said, saying that President Bharrat Jagdeo had wanted Corbin to agree for a third term but these discussions fell through based on developments within the PNCR.
Meanwhile, Nagamootoo indicated that an AFC government will be pushing for closer relationships with the neighbouring countries—Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. He said the AFC would work towards making Guyana’s economy complementary with these countries. He indicated that an AFC government will try to hasten the bridge over the Corentyne River into neighbouring Suriname.
Former PNC minister Dr Van West-Charles called on the crowd to support the AFC saying that no government could be run by a party that did not appreciate democratic practices. Van West-Charles, who had been at forefront of Winston Murray’s bid to become the PNCR’s presidential candidate before his death, said that while Murray was still alive he had been having dialogue with the AFC. Murray’s wife Marva, he said, is now supporting the AFC.
Meanwhile, Van West-Charles encouraged the crowd not to support APNU saying that Guyana did not need a military leader. “Let [Dr Rupert] Roopnaraine know, no military junta in this dear land of ours,” he said. Van West-Charles also accused Corbin of having secret meetings with Jagdeo and not representing the PNCR’s constituency. As he began to speak about dealings between Jagdeo and Corbin, the AFC’s adaption of the popular soca song “Wotless” was played repeatedly, amusing the crowd.
The AFC, he said, was on a mission to fix the society. “Our mission is not only to remove the PPP. We have to reconfigure our society,” he said plugging the equitable sharing of resources. He said that there is a need to restore the integrity of parliamentarians.
The lone female speaker for the night was Valerie Garrido-Lowe, who appealed to the youths to vote for the AFC. Garrido-Lowe, who was at one time TUF’s presidential candidate, said the AFC had welcomed her with open arms after she was attacked for trying to keep her party independent. “We are not soup drinkers. We will not be drinking soup,” she said.
Other speakers included University of Guyana Lecturer Freddie Kissoon, social activist Mark Benschop, and AFC members from the Diaspora. Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes chaired the evening’s proceedings, which included several cultural items. As a tribute to Holder, the crowd was asked to observe a moment of silence and later Charmaine Blackman sang the song “Hero” in her honour.
