PNCR’s Region 10 Chairman labels resigned Lennox Gasper a “political opportunist”

Last Updated on Friday, 5 March 2021, 21:04 by Denis Chabrol

The  Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) in Region 10, Jermaine Figueira on Friday poured scorn on his former party colleague, Lennox Gasper, who resigned over concerns about that party’s style and track record in looking after the welfare of Lindeners and other residents in the region.

“I have read Mr. Gasper’s statement and I’m not surprised. Mr Gasper presents himself as a political opportunist, whose political aspirations he envisioned did not materialise,” Mr. Figueira said.

Mr. Gasper has already said that “nobody bought me out and I am not up for sale.”

While Mr. Gasper did not say he would be endorsing the governing People’s Progressive Party, his call for Region 10 residents to support the government in bringing development to the region did not go down well with Figueira. “Mr. Gasper is an enemy of the cause who is asking the people to support our oppressor, his boss. This brother is confused and his blinded by his own selfishness,” said Mr. Figueira who is an opposition parliamentarian.

He lampooned Mr. Gasper for being silent when countless Guyanese public servants , young people in Linden were from the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), and staffers at the Linden ambulance services were all fired. Mr. Figueira also bemoaned Mr. Gasper’s silence when nurses and frontline workers were insulted and disrespected, and a minister of the government allegedly abused a female opposition parliamentarian.

Mr. Figueira claimed that Mr. Gasper had stated in 2016 when he joined the PNCR, that party had provided him the opportunity to become a candidate in that year’s local government elections.

The PNCR Region 10 Chairman disagreed with Mr. Gasper’s contention that his party did nothing for Linden in the past five years but had instead burdened residents with neglect including higher taxes and unemployment. The Chairman  said results from the March 2020 general elections do not prove Mr. Gasper’s claims.  “His statement is baseless and not rooted in facts. The same coalition he claims did nothing for Linden received the largest support in the history of elections from Lindeners,” he said.

Charging that Mr. Gasper’s “paid political pen for the PPP is clear for all to see,”  Mr. Figueira accused him of trying to impress his new political bosses as if he is an influencer with much political capital and influence in Linden.

Gasper said he was particularly upset this week about the failure of APNU+AFC to  recognise the procedure that a parliamentarian could not be removed without an investigation, in reference to Minister Kwame Mc Coy’s alleged assault of opposition MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley. He also recalled objecting to returning to Linden’s radio airwaves after he had asked the PNCR seniors to show him their Statements of Poll to prove that the party had been cheated by the PPP.