Former Housing Minister Annette Ferguson says the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is in “panic mode” following remarks made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo at the party’s Stewartville rally on Sunday last.
Ferguson was responding to Jagdeo’s statement that both the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are prepared to deal with any attempts to disrupt the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
“As the old saying goes, ‘when a blind man says he has a brick in his arm and will pelt you, you must believe him,’” Ferguson said, describing Jagdeo’s words as a direct threat.
She added, “Such statements are not only irresponsible, but also reflect a party in panic mode, resorting to intimidation rather than inspiration. What Mr. Jagdeo seems not to understand is that the people of Guyana, despite these threats, are clamouring for change.”
The former junior Public Works Minister under the David Granger-led APNU+AFC government said Jagdeo’s comments raise fears of a repeat of the violence that followed the disputed March 2020 elections. She cited the storming of the GECOM office at Ashmin’s building, an attack on a school bus at Bath, West Coast Berbice, and assaults on police officers at Lusignan.
“Are Mr. Jagdeo’s threats meant to remind us that what took place in 2020 can, and will, repeat itself? Guyanese do not wish to relive those dark days, memories that remain fresh and have left deep scars,” Ferguson stated in a letter to the editor.
She further called on the GPF and GDF to “uphold their constitutional mandate and professional principles, and to resist the bait set by politicians, especially Mr. Jagdeo and his cohorts.”
In her appeal to citizens, Ferguson urged vigilance ahead of the polls.
“As we prepare to head to the polls on Monday, let us be vigilant, exercise wisdom, and keep our guard up. Desperation is evident in the utterances we are hearing, but this country belongs to all Guyanese, not a single individual,” she said.
