PPPC warns of “big trouble” if opposition attempts to rig elections

Last Updated on Monday, 20 April 2015, 4:20 by GxMedia

Clement Rohee addressing a PPP-Civic public rally at Albion on Sunday, April 19, 2015.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) Sunday urged supporters to turn out in large numbers to vote and warned the opposition that any attempt to derail the May 11, 2015 general elections would result in “big trouble.”

Addressing thousands of party faithful at Albion, East Berbice, PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee said his party was “prepared for any eventuality” and such plans would not be tolerated.

“We want to warn them not to invade any polling station. We want to warn them not to hijack any ballot boxes because we will resist, we will not allow them to steal our votes, we will not allow them to stuff the ballot boxes. If they do that, if they ever attempt to do that comrades, big trouble is ahead for them,” he said.

Former President Bharrat Jadgeo again warned PPP supporters that if they do not vote overwhelmingly and “decisively” for the PPPC, unrest could erupt. “They are already questioning the (voters) list although three years have passed and they didn’t question the list so if the victory is narrow they may want to create violence,” he said.

Jadgeo appealed to attendees to fan out to every single home in their village and urge persons to vote. He opined that if the PPP wins convincingly the opposition would have to accept defeat. “If the victory is decisive, they will go into their corners and have to accept the results,” he said.

Noting that the combined opposition won 22,000 votes in Berbice and the PPP 32,000 at the general and regional elections in November 2011; Rohee said his party was targeting an overall 54,000 votes at the upcoming polls. He said his party’s task was to maintain the 32,000 votes, win back 9,000 and win the 14,000 new voters.

He said there was no time for complacency as was the case in 2011 when many PPP supporters opted to stay home because they had been confident of victory. “We don’t want to hear ah we don win already because that has affected us. Wake up early and vote,” he said.

“It is as a result of learning this bitter lesson and learning this bitter experience that we have all come to the conclusion that we do not want a return to the past, we are moving forward and we are moving forward with greater numbers,” said the General Secretary.

Just over 570,000 persons are registered to vote in the upcoming polls at more than 2,600 polling stations.

The elections will be observed by the Carter Centre, Organisation of American States, Union of South American Nations and the Guyana Public Service Union.