Dear Editor,
Sunday, March 23, 2025, was no different from previous years, as the PPP/C gathered at the memorial site to honour the life and legacy of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan. However, what was notably absent was the presence of the Jagan family! Several observations can be made. First, there was a complete disrespect for Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who is the Prime Minister. According to Article 102 of the Constitution, he should be wearing the rank of Prime Minister and Vice President.
As such, he should be overseeing figures like Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo and other government officials. Unfortunately, this will not change as long as Mr. Jagdeo is at the helm of the party and the government. Just last week, I submitted a letter to the editor contrasting Former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Christopher Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago with Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana, particularly regarding retirement from public service. It is clear that Mr. Jagdeo has an unhealthy obsession with power.
Secondly, there was a breach of protocol! Can you imagine students, (who I believe were not at fault) were handed prepared scripts for the event’s introduction? It was stated, “President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Mark Phillips…” This was wrong! Once again, it’s the PPP/C at fault! I am unsure if Mark Phillips understands Article 102 of the Constitution, which outlines the functions of the Prime Minister. I recall when then-Opposition Leader Mr. Joseph Harmon and Members of Parliament, as well as the public, called out the government for such breaches. However, it all fell on deaf ears, as Jagdeo has undermined the Constitution. I firmly believe that students should be taught proper protocol, and leaders, educators, and parents all have roles in shaping them.
Thirdly, after the Babu Jaan event, we heard that public projects would be at risk if the Opposition wins the 2025 General and Regional Elections! Mr. Ali and his colleagues should be reminded that all public projects are funded by taxpayers. Why should the masses be told that malls and hotels are at risk? Is the government truly focused on investing in malls and hotels? Fourthly, it is clear that Mr. Jagdeo had nothing new to offer, aside from the usual rhetoric we’ve come to expect at his one-man pressers every Thursday.
He spoke of more cash grants after the elections, of a financial framework for cash grants post-election (a plan previously suggested by former Minister Winston Jordan), and of the backlog in house lot applications, which, he claims, will be addressed after the elections. Therefore, Editor, am I to assume that the touted distribution of 50,000 house lots between 2020-2025 was nothing more than a fantasy?
As I conclude, let me remind the public that the PPP/C under Mr. Jagdeo cannot and should not be trusted. Why? Because we’ve witnessed the mismanagement of our Natural Resource Fund, the government’s appeal against a High Court decision involving its citizens with Exxon, the derailing of Parliamentary Democracy, the disrespect for the rule of law, the lack of accountability in government contracts, the delayed construction of the Tepui and 12-story government office buildings, and the unequal treatment of local authorities, etc.
For all of these reasons, I encourage my Guyanese brothers and sisters to reject the PPP/C in the upcoming elections, whenever they are held. The PPP/C is running scared, and their only hope is to cling to power through misinformation, deception, and the selling of false promises. Lastly, I ask this open question to those who crossed over to join the PPP/C since August 2020: Have their lives changed significantly, enough to enjoy real prosperity? Guyana will rise once the PPP/C is defeated! They must be voted out!
Sincerely,
Annette Ferguson, MP
