People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee yesterday maintained that his party’s record with the Amerindian community has been “exemplary,” while saying any possible fallout over President Donald Ramotar’s bashing of an outspoken teacher at Aishalton will be reflected at general elections.
“I think the people in Aishalton are very much aware of the commitment and dedication of the PPP and the PPP/C government to their well-being and their interest,” he told a news conference yesterday. “We shouldn’t underestimate the intelligence of the Amerindian people; they are just like any other Guyanese. They have the capacity and competence to know what is wrong and what is right, who did things for them and who didn’t do things for them. And so I am not aware of any particular fallout… Whatever there is, I suppose that will come out in the results of the elections.”
Rohee also emphasised that the PPP had made meaningful contributions in the development of the hinterland community.
“The PPP, for its part, has practiced an inclusionary policy, including all the peoples of our dear country,” Rohee told reporters. He went on, “Under the PPP/C government, Amerindian development has advanced by leaps and bounds in all areas of Amerindian life…in education, health, village development…the record of the PPP/C administration is exemplary.”
Further, Rohee said the PPP’s contributions have led to great support from the Amerindian community and are a “stark contrast” to those of the opposition parties.
“The PPP reiterates that it has a proud record of working to ensure that our Amerindian brothers and sisters benefit from accelerated development. This has developed to the point where today the PPP stands out as the party with the largest and fastest growing Amerindian support. The PPP will continue to ensure that it stands out in this respect,” Rohee said.
Rohee’s statements came a week after a recording surfaced in which a voice, purportedly that of President Ramotar, is heard calling Aishalton teacher John Adams “stupid.”
The recording was released 27 days after Adams, a secondary school teacher at Aishalton, alleged that he was slapped at the same event by a presidential guard after he heckled while the president was making a speech. The recording was released by Adams and others.
In the recording, the voice suspected to be Ramotar’s could be heard bashing the opposition. There was a brief gap before he was heard saying, “You don’t know anything ’bout Jagdeo; if he been hay he might have slap yuh cause yuh stupid.”
The president has since said that he vaguely recollects what took place during his visit to the Amerindian community. However, he said, “A few people were there and were heavily drunk. One of them had been making derogatory remarks towards me and I responded to him because he was obviously sent to make mischief.”
Adams later insisted that he had not been drunk and maintained that Ramotar’s comments had indeed been directed at him. The main opposition APNU has since called for the president to apologise for his comments.
Rohee stated yesterday that he believed the entire incident had been a “set-up.” He said some persons had been deliberately sent to the president’s event in “an attempt to sow discord, division and mischief among our Amerindian brothers and sisters.”
He also said the episode had been “played up and in fact overplayed” by the opposition and the “opposition media” as a way of gaining political mileage.
According to Rohee, the opposition media is deliberately shirking the explanations given by President Ramotar on the incident, when his word ought to “carry weight.”
“Sections of the media continue to peddle this matter…and to not take into account what the head of state says. In any country of the world…if the President pronounces on a matter the media must take into account when it is writing the story…it must take into account what the President says. His word has weight in any jurisdiction. I’m not saying you should believe… [but]the word and weight of the president must be taken into account,” Rohee maintained.
