Dear Editor,
I write in response to a Stabroek News article dated January 5, 2020 and captioned, `PPP/C asks cops to probe alleged attack on campaigners in Sophia – Laing Avenue incident being investigated.’ The article notes that the PPP/C wrote a letter to the top cop, requesting an investigation of their claim. It was also stated, in the said article that “PPP/C member Anil Nandlall reported that the attack occurred in Sophia, Greater Georgetown, on the afternoon of January 2nd and implicated `known PNC/APNU activist,’ Lurlene Nestor, who has since denied the accusations,..” I believe the insertion of my name in this PPP fabrication of lies, was intentionally done to besmirch my character and good name. It is unfortunate that Stabroek News would repeat this or associate me with the Sophia fabrication, even though it noted that I had already refuted this.
Editor, permit me to address this unfortunate attack on the people of Sophia and myself. For starters, it is true that I am a “known PNC/ APNU activist”. It is true that a team of Pro-APNU campaigners “The Campaign Readiers”, including myself, were campaigning in Sophia on January 2, 2020. A big push of our campaign was to invite people to the APNU+AFC campaign launch that was scheduled for Friday January, 3rd. What are untrue are the allegations of an attack on PPP campaigners. This kind of “politics of fabrication” has always been in the PPP playbook. My campaign team and I were working in Sophia on January 2nd. We went into the area with a truck and a music set to announce the launch, of the APNU+AFC campaign. There were also other vehicles involved in this exercise. Once we arrived into the area, we came off the truck and took to the streets, to engage with every voter and knock on every door. The residents of Sophia were extremely excited and supportive of our efforts. Many came out and joined the campaign, some turned off the stove, and decided that they will cook later, to join us. I saw mothers and fathers pick up their children and put them in vehicles and join our effort, the people were excited. Our presence in Sophia aroused a deep sense of support from the people. It was a very exciting day, many danced and walked the street as they called out their neighbours to join the “caravan of excitement.” A number of videos and photos of our activities are already in the public domain.
However, while campaigning in C-Field I saw a small truck with people in red tops driving along the D-Field road, so we were separated by a trench. Some members of our campaign team were already on the last cross street as the truck was driving along D-Field, they were not close by. The truck was driving at a reasonable speed, so that a trail of red dust was behind. I learned that the truck was carrying PPP supporters, when a member of our team said “I think that is the PPP in here too”. I could not recognize anyone on the truck since I was too far away from the vehicle and it would have been impossible for anyone on the truck to see me. The point is, we were a field away from each other. My information is that the people in Sophia rejected the PPP message and did not respond to them in an encouraging way. While campaigning in the area many residents talked about the work the coalition did to improve the lives of residents in the area, video footage also made public.
From my vantage point, at no time did I see anyone attack the PPP campaigners as the truck was traversing D-Field. Clearly, the PPP was rejected by the people, who had no time to listen to any of the party’s propaganda. In fact, I learned that the members of the PPP campaign team did not disembark the vehicle. In their allegations, the PPP talked about some street being blocked and they were unable to get through. Let me state that I saw a tire and wood across a street we were on, it appeared that some were playing a game of cricket or football so I did not think much of it, since this kind of thing happens all the time in communities around Guyana. Like the PPP campaign truck, we also used another corner since we did not bother to wait for the boys to remove the materials. We used another street and continued along with our campaign. It is folly to think that any of the campaign teams were locked in or out, as there were other ways to get to where we wanted to go. It would be foolish for anyone to regard this as some kind of attack. I certainly do not think we were attacked because we diverted through another street. The point is, the PPP’s message was rejected by the residents of Sophia! There is a difference between reject and attack. Two days ago, I called on the PPP to share any video of photos of the attacks they speak of. I ask them to specifically produce any evidence of me either attacking or encouraging anyone to attack their campaigners in Sophia. I also call on any person who was on the PPP truck and claim to have seen me, attack them, to come forward. To date, no one has come forward and no photos, video nor any shred of evidence to support this barefaced invention was produced. I am appalled that the PPP would stoop this low to try to elicit political sympathy for its dismal political standing. The PPP’s baseless attack against me is done out of fear for its political future. Editor, please allow me to also say something about the Laing Avenue incident, of which video footage from the PPP surfaced. On December 31, 2019 the “APNU’s Caravan of Excitement” was out in South Georgetown. Laing Avenue was one of those areas where we campaigned. Like every community we visited, the residents came out in their numbers and indicated their strong support for the coalition government. They danced the streets and reiterated their commitments to the government. Several video footages and photos are already in the public domain. The people of Laing Avenue are energized. However, there are many who are still affected by the killings and mayhem the death squad perpetrated on their community, their friends and family. Let me state clearly, I have been involved in national politics, and political campaigning for a long time, I have never been accused of, supported or condoned attacks on political rivals. I believe in democracy in all its forms. I do not condone what I saw in the Laing Avenue video. However, I know that the residents of Laing Avenue are hurting like so many other communities in South Georgetown. There is a deep-seated anger and pain that people continue to suffer because of what they went through under the PPP, when the death squad reigned. This fact we cannot take for granted. While not attempting to excuse unwarranted behaviour, I believe that before we rush to condemn the residents of Laing Avenue, we should also understand context.
I would also hope that the Opposition Leader will also take the high ground and take back his “chase them out” comments. When he made this reckless and irresponsible comment, I called it out and asked that he recant his words, to date he had not done so. Today, I call again on Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to publicly recant his call to PPP supporters to chase out the president and government officials from their communities. Failing to do this may cause even more confrontation later on. The words of our leaders, matter! They matter even more in this heightened political environment.
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor
