Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who also serves as the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), described the recent Albion rally as one of the largest political gatherings in Guyana’s history, with more than 30,000 residents converging to hear what leaders in the PPP/C have in store for the next five years.
Contrary to what is being peddled to the public, he said the massive turnout was not orchestrated or manufactured.
Instead, he said, it was organic, with thousands of residents in Region Six showing up to support the governing party.
Speaking with reporters at a press conference on Thursday, Dr Jagdeo noted that people even formed their motorcades and walked long distances to be part of the rally, signalling real momentum for the PPP/C’s agenda.
“They (supporters) were not bused to Region Six,” the vice president stated, adding, “That was an organic Region Six crowd.”
In contrast, he lambasted the opposition’s attempts to create the illusion of momentum through carefully staged photo opportunities.
He cited small, bused-in crowds at the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) public meetings in Parfaite Harmonie and Melanie, East Coast Demerara, areas that have historically supported the opposition.
According to Dr Jagdeo, following discussions in Parfaite Harmonie, it was discovered that the opposition “bused people into Parfaite Harmony and even then it was a small gathering.”
“I saw the East Coast rally of the APNU and again…you had people from Region 10, Region Six, Region Five, Region Three who were taken to Melanie on the East Coast, an area that is historically a stronghold of the PNC and APNU,” he said.
Kaieteur News came under fire from the PPP’s general secretary, after it attempted to downplay the massive crowd in Albion, blatantly claiming there were just 5,000 people in attendance.
While acknowledging that rallies alone do not determine election outcomes, he said, “It is a litmus test of people’s willingness to come out on their own to support an agenda for this country, an agenda that is demonstrably positive and that will lead to a better future for all.“
The significant presence of young people at the Albion Rally is further evidence of growing engagement with the PPP/C’s long-term and sustainable development strategy.
Dr Jagdeo pointed to other large turnouts at meetings held by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in Moruca (Region One) and Mahdia (Region Eight), reasoning that the strong support reflects the government’s ongoing efforts to rebuild Amerindian communities that were once neglected under the opposition’s tenure from 2015 to 2020.
“While we haven’t been able to fix every problem in those communities and many other communities in the country, because …we have had three years to implement the agenda of the government, having lost two years to COVID,” he explained.
Nonetheless, “People have seen a commitment from the PPP to addressing the issues in their communities.”
The PPP’s general secretary also criticised some sections of the media for unfairly downplaying PPP/C events while amplifying the opposition.
For example, Stabroek News portrayed a minor opposition gathering in Wakenaam as major, while deliberately ignoring the massive crowds at the PPP/C’s events.
