Jagdeo declares he is still credible

Last Updated on Wednesday, 9 December 2015, 20:19 by GxMedia

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo Wednesday insisted that he is a credible politician, despite concerns in certain quarters about human rights, corruption and alleged discrimination during his term of office.

“Yes, I do and as the days pass more and more I am going to be justified as the days pass,” he told a news conference in response to a question by Demerara Waves Online News about whether he considered himself a credible messenger in the eyes of the broad masses of Guyanese.

The Opposition Leader said he was not depending on “hostile media,” a characterization synonymous with media entities that are critical of the PPP, to bolster his credibility because he is still highly regarded among Guyanese. “My credibility is on the ground… I see tons of people from the business community coming to meet with me now to say they (government) are clueless about what they are doing,” he said.

For instance, Jagdeo said the PPPC could “lay out a plan” that would see a reversal of Guyana’s economic fortunes. He said he and his party’s clear economic and environmental policies as well as new projects would earn credibility. “I believe we are an extremely credible party based on our track record of change in this country; that in spite of all these difficulties we moved this country forward,” he said.

Jagdeo has been highly critical of the way the eight-month old David Granger-led coalition has been managing the country. He has even pointed to government’s apparent flip-flopping on a number of key projects such as the Amaila Falls Hydro-power Station and the Specialty Hospital which it has inherited from the People’s Progressive Party Civic-led administration.

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan has said in Paris, France that government was still firm on its position that the Amaila Falls hydro-power station would be unfeasible, but would allow Norway to conduct another study to determine if that is the case.

Court records in the United States (US) have linked a member of Jagdeo’s administration to the purchase of sophisticated mobile phone wiretapping equipment almost identical to one found at a property controlled by now convicted drug lord, Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan at the height of a violent crime spree by five prison escapees and their accomplices between 2002 and 2009.

While then Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj had been cleared of any links to a state-sponsored death squad by a Commission of Inquiry, concerns continue to linger about such a group that had been responsible for numerous killings.

Jagdeo, who served as president from 1999 to 2011, said as the days pass even more Guyanese would be prefer his People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration back in office because the already bad situation in the country would get bad. “Our management would look like a manual for good governance in spite of all the charges that you are making now… compared to what they have started and would continue to do,” he said.

He added that the PPP’s term of office that dates back to 1992 would look like an International Monetary Fund (IMF) manual for good financial governance.