Hundreds of People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/ C) supporters on Sunday flocked the Lusignan Market tarmac, East Coast Demerara to be part of a rally to celebrate the party’s 21st anniversary in government. Addressing the gathering, President Donald Ramotar said the party is celebrating one of the most important victories of the Guyanese people.
“For a long time, our people struggle against all kinds of oppression and when we got independence, we thought that that was the time when we would move forward in our country but then again we had to start another struggle for freedom against the dictatorship that existed in Guyana, and therefore, we only had freedom in the last 21 years in this country, despite the fact that we have 47 years of independence,” said the president.
Massive developments
He said with the massive developments in the country, there is still a lot more to be done, but the party will need the support of all its supporters for this to happen.
“I want to ask you to stand with us because danger lurks at the door and we, therefore, we must stand together… we have to continue on the forward march to make Guyana a developed country, we need your support not only to win the elections, we need your support to build the country,” Ramotar urged.
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo said the country has been significantly transformed under the PPP/ C government, pointing to commendable strides in the education, health, public and economic sectors.
He described the People’s National Congress (PNC) tenure in government as woeful and said Guyana must not return to those “dark days”. “In that period, the country was deteriorating but with US$ 4.1 billion that this government, the PPP/ C government over the past 20 years had to pay back, we could have fixed every school in this country, every hospital, widen all the roads, build the hydro, built bridges not only across the Berbice River but the Essequibo too, fixed the cost of living issues, address information communication technology and still had money remaining,” Jagdeo said.
He called on the present generation to learn the country’s history so that they can better understand the struggles of the current government for the development of Guyana.
“If we allow small things in our communities, the drainage, the roads, couple potholes, some neighbour you don’t like, the NDC man… the people who went to school with me couldn’t dream of a life here, about raising a family here, about prospering here; the mothers, fathers and grandparents, you have to ensure that your children have a future where they can live in freedom and dignity and only the PPP/C can ensure that happens,” Jagdeo told the gathering.
Govt of the people
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who also addressed the gathering, said the party is proud to remain attuned to the needs of the people as it celebrates another year in government.
Sacrifice
The prime minister said Guyanese must not be oblivious of the developments in the country even as the opposition tries to paint a different picture.
“We gave them (our people) hope when they did not have hope before so they could focus and they could save and they could work and they could realise their dreams; that is what we have been doing, that is how we have been running our country by making the best we could with what we have and with the people we have and as time has passed and we could do better, we did better,” said the prime minister.
PPP/C General Secretary and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said the party was persecuted in opposition, but remained united as he paid tribute to the victims of the struggles for a better Guyana.
