Georgetown: Executive member of the People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, Nigel Hughes has condemned acts of vulgarity and indecency by supporters following last week’s attacks on a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) meeting at Warlock, West Ruimveldt.
Speaking at a public meeting at Fyrish, Corentyne recently Hughes, a candidate of the coalition condemned all acts of provocation during these election campaigns. In a statement, the coalition said Hughes was forthright in his comments, saying that no act of harassment, intimidation or indecency will be tolerated as the APNU+AFC coalition holds itself to a higher standard.
“Tonight we condemn all acts of indecency and disrespect. Whether it’s urinating on someone’s flag, burning someone’s flag or any other similar act,” Hughes told the large crowd. “We must hold ourselves to higher standards than we expect of others. We are better than that.” Hughes added.
Meanwhile, the coalition said over the weekend it had one of its billboards defaced with a liquid substance. This occurred at Coldigen, on the East Coast of Demerara.
“On Friday last, the coalition had also publicly condemned what it alleged as the vile and utterly reprehensible PPP tactic of persons being paid to pose as APNU+AFC coalition supporters and intimidating Indo-Guyanese in an effort to engender ethnic mistrust among our people.
“The APNU+AFC coalition makes it clear that this provocation and intimidation is intended to benefit the PPP/C and the Coalition stands to derive no benefit whatsoever from it. The Coalition will never engage in these gutter tactics, which are synonymous with the fear mongering and hate campaign being run by the PPP/C.”
Hours after Presidential Candidate for the coalition David Granger signed the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Code of Conduct for Political Parties contesting the upcoming election, his party supporters were responsible for disrupting a public meeting of the PPP/C at Warlock, East Ruimveldt last Wednesday night.
By signing the Code, Granger gave his party’s commitment to condemning all forms of violence, attacks of aggression and inappropriate behaviour while campaigning ahead of the May 11 polls. He also committed to the non-destruction of campaign materials of other parties and non-intimidation of political opponents.
But before the ink could have dried there was “war” in Warlock, as the coalition’s supporters, dressed in their APNU/AFC colours swooped down on the meeting and threw stones and broken bottles at Dr Roger Luncheon, Trade Unionist Gillian Burton-Persaud, and Odinga Lumumba.
The coalition’s supporters were documented as burning the PPP/C’s flag and other campaign material as they protested the holding of the meeting in their community.
The PNC-led APNU/AFC supporters were also documented hurling verbal and other slurs at those present at the meeting. Former President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday told a news conference that the acts of the party’s supporters are indicative of the desperate levels to which the coalition had allowed itself to plummet because it was conscious of an overwhelming defeat looming at the polls.
“I would like the country to see how organised the thuggery is… why do you have to come to our meetings and stone people who speak at our meetings, it’s only an act of desperation that would cause you to do this,” Jagdeo explained before telling Guyanese that “we have to condemn this in the strongest term and we hope GECOM and the international observers are paying attention to this”.
Jagdeo said that these acts should not be seen in isolation as he pointed out instances where the PPP/C campaign material was damaged and other members stoned by supporters of the coalition in other stronghold communities. “We see this as desperation on the part of Mr Granger and the desperation is further compounded by the acts of thuggery and the acts of hooliganism that we see from some of their supporters,” he alleged.
The former President believes strongly that the coalition’s Presidential Candidate is taking his supporters down a dangerous path, as he pointed to the rhetoric that Granger is using on the campaign trail which he said in itself is sending a clear message to Guyanese about what to expect after elections.
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