By Johann Earle
At what he called the mother of all political rallies in Guyana, A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) presidential candidate David Granger called on supporters to use their cars and minibuses to provide transportation for their friends and families to go to the polls tomorrow.
This is in the light of the decision by the government to name tomorrow, November 28, a national holiday for elections, as was done for the last election in 2006.
APNU’s final grand rally took place at the Square of the Revolution and was preceded by a gospel concert, which saw a number of local gospel artistes performing.
“Come out in your numbers, rain or shine,” Granger urged, noting that the fact that tomorrow is a holiday will pose difficulties for some persons with regard to public transportation.
Addressing thousands at a damp Square of the Revolution last night, Granger said that persons must vote their frustrations at the high cost of living and the difficult times business persons and public servants face daily.
He said that the rally was for the plight of the hinterland residents, and for miners and fishermen who are targeted by bandits and pirates. “The rally is for the people why are fed up of the lies of the Chronicle and NCN,” he told the mammoth crowd.
Granger said that an APNU government would turn around what he called the record of the PPP/C government over the past 19 years. Here he went on to list his oft repeated litany of shortcomings of the PPP/C with regard to education, crime and employment. He also disparaged the PPP/C record on labour and collective bargaining issues.
“We are going to protect our farmers,” he said, referring to what he termed as the PPP/C’s neglect of agriculture. He contended that the PPP/C has paralysed the armed forces of the country and gave the assurance that an APNU government will professionalize the police force so that they will not have “to ask you for a towel.” Under an APNU government, he continued, people will be happy to approach a police officer to ask for assistance, and not be afraid of them.
Promising to give all persons a level playing field in which they would thrive, Granger said that the PNCR is not alone in its efforts, despite statements to the contrary from some quarters. “We are not alone. We have the Guyana Action Party (GAP), the Guyana Association of Local Authorities, the Guyana National Congress, the Guyana Youth Congress, the Guyana People’s Partnership, the National Development Front, the National Front Alliance, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and the Justice for All Party (JFAP),” he said.
“We don’t just talk unity, we walk unity,” said Granger. We are the party of the future [taking] you into the 21st century… You have 36 hours to look after the next 36 years of your life,” he told the gathering.
Furthermore, Granger went on, under his government, there will be equality for women, adding that not unlike chastity, there can only be total equality or none at all.
Speaking prior to Granger was prime ministerial candidate Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, who, in his usual entertaining style, compared PPP/C presidential candidate Donald Ramotar to the fabled Rip van Winkle. He said Ramotar, not unlike the storybook character, fell into an almost 20-year slumber, only to be awaked by President Bharrat Jagdeo who then told him he was the presidential candidate for the party for which he was General Secretary for the better part of 15 years.
“Donald has been in a sleep for 19 years and over the past 12 years he has been in the deepest sleep of all,” said Roopnaraine.
He said that should the APNU win the elections, the new government will examine every deal that would have been entered into by the present administration and should there be a hint of impropriety, the deal would be torn up and scrapped.
In repeating what he now describes as the APNU political campaign “anthem,” Roopnaraine spoke his famous lines about there being no place “for Donald” in 19 years of PPP/C rule. He went on to tell the crowd that there will be “no place for Donald” come November 29, 2011.
Roopnaraine reminded the APNU supporters that they were meeting at a place dedicated to one of the earliest freedom fighters in Guyana – Cuffy. He lamented that the creator of the sculpture, Philip Moore, is being neglected on the Corentyne coast and said that an APNU government will honour Moore for his work by building a museum dedicated to his art. He described the structure being presently built at the site to be a monstrosity and something that the APNU government would tear down in its early days in office.
“Tonight a river of green comes to the Square of the Revolution. David Granger has planted the green flag of APNU in all ten regions in this country,” said Roopnaraine. He accused the ruling party of conducting a campaign of lies and said this is so because they are in a panic.
“On Monday we are going out to say no to division and yes to racial unity. We are saying no to the greed and corruption… no to a rich country full of poor people. No to the overnight millionaires,” he said; “We will build a Guyana where your children can be proud.”
Roopnaraine said that the country was haemorrhaging skills to other countries and stressed that skills must be kept at home and that this is a matter the APNU would address.
Turning to the Amerindian peoples, he described them as having been neglected by the present administration and emphasized that APNU would sort out their land rights issues and will ensure that what is below the surface of their land will belong to the Amerindians.
Dr George Norton, an Amerindian, said that APNU will sit with the Amerindians and have dialogue on their development. He noted that the PPP/C government has dishonoured Amerindians by changing the name of the country’s first international airport.
Addressing the gathering, leader of the PNCR Robert Corbin said that APNU has put together a good ship, a good crew and a good captain. “Together, we can make a difference in our land,” he said.
Corbin went on to tell the gathering that Granger would make a good president because, “he is not alone. He has a wife. He has children and he understands issues of a family.”
To the delight of the crowd, Volda Lawrence began her presentation with the clarion call “Eagle to carrion crow, come in! Eagle to carrion crow, come in!”
She then said that the APNU has a place for everyone – “even our media friends.” This was a clear reference to President Jagdeo‘s vilification of some media houses during the earlier PPP/C campaign rallies.
Lawrence called on persons to vote early and then return to their communities to help the feeble and infirm get to the polling stations to cast their vote. She urged too that persons spend the last few hours before the elections to educate others about how to cast their ballot.
Among the speakers were campaign activist Lurlene Nestor, PNC Chairman Cammie Ramsaroop, Guyana Action Party’s Gem Roberts, youth leader Ganesh Naipaul and son of C N Sharma, Jaipaul Sharma of the JFAP.
