Dear Editor,
On Saturday, April 4, I decided to go and witness the AFC+APNU rally at Damon Park, Anna Regina. Essequibo has always been a deciding factor in terms of a win for any political party contesting elections. The PPP lost a seat in this region in the 2011 general and regional elections which put them in the minority. I would like to see if they can regain lost ground.
I decided to leave my home at 4.00 pm for the 5.00 pm rally because of the crowd I saw in the morning. Never was there so much enthusiasm and such unity among Essequibians. This campaign was the best I seen so far, with the colours of AFC+APNU flags and banners spontaneously displayed along every village and the park at Damon.
The place was already in frenzy like a carnival atmosphere, I saw a multi-ethnic crowd; people were dancing and waving their respective party flags and sporting their yellow and green jerseys or pants, while some had on colourful headbands. The mammoth crowd which built up was the same as the one in the 1992, Cheddi victory rally! This one was exceptional, though it consisted mostly of young people, who can be considered a youth shock force which has high hopes for a new Guyana of peace, love and unity.
The organizing of this event was very slick and forceful. I can see a breakthrough of the races coming together after 50 years of strife which divided them. My grands, 10 and 5 years old and my wife exited the car, and I could see them dancing along to Bob Marley’s song ‘One love.’
At 5pm the first speaker, Mr Samad Bacchus, former PPP/C MP, a rice magnate and successful businessman from Affiance took the podium, and started to lambaste the government for corruption and the crisis in which they had put the rice industry; Clico; NIS; the Berbice bridge; tax evasion by foreign businessmen, etc, etc. He said that rice millers are willing to pay more for farmers’ paddy, but the government is sucking the blood out from the farmers and millers. He said that he was approached by several political parties to come back and embrace them, but he refused after he left the political arena. Having looked at the amount of corruption and the suffering of the poor, however, he decided to accept the offer to come back in the political arena of APNU+AFC. I know Mr Sam Bacchus; we both spoke on the political platform of the PPP in 1992, and we also campaigned in the Pomeroon river.
He made a lot of sacrifices for Dr Cheddi Jagan’s PPP; in fact Cheddi asked Sam to join his party as a Civic member. This businessman is one of the most honest, reputable and respected persons who is loved by the whole of Region Two. What he did no other businessman in this region will do by standing on the APNU+AFC political platform and openly endorse the coalition and the unity team. He was sporting the APNU colour with his greenT-shirt and green pants. His message was well received by all who were there; some even cried after he left the podium. Ms Volda Lawrence was the other speaker. I was very impressed with her speech on suicide and rape on the Essequibo Coast. My family wanted to leave for home fearing that a sudden blackout might come, so I dropped them off home, and while going, I saw the long lines of vehicles stretching for miles and miles.
On my way back to the rally, I couldn’t get back to the place where I was near the stage earlier; the whole park was jam-packed with people. I tried to find another route to go back near the stage but it was fruitless, people and vehicles was everywhere and I was stuck some distance away. I can hear the other speakers but I couldn’t see their faces, I just recognized their voices. This is the biggest rally I have seen after Jagan’s victory rally in 1992; history has been created here on the Essequibo Coast with the unity team. All the other speakers were well received with their messages.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
