PPP leaders turning up at Goverment events in campaign T-shirt inapropriate

Dear Editor,

As the nation counts down to the 2025 General and Regional Elections (GRE), many of the recent pronouncements and actions by the PPP/C administration strike me as both ironic and deeply troubling. Before delving into the substantive issues, I wish to highlight several observations that demand the attention of the public and relevant authorities.

In recent weeks, a number of public facilities, including schools, police stations, and notably the Ogle-to-Eccles road link, have been officially commissioned. While infrastructural development is welcome and necessary, it is highly inappropriate and misleading for these events, funded by public resources, to be adorned with political party paraphernalia.

A particularly glaring example was the commissioning of the St. Ignatius Secondary School in Region 9, where PPP/C officials appeared wearing red party-branded T-shirts and waving red, black, and yellow flags—unmistakable symbols of the party’s identity. Such politicized displays at state-funded events undermine the democratic principle of impartiality in governance and blur the necessary boundary between state and party.

This practice is not only inappropriate, it is unethical. Taxpayer dollars finance public infrastructure, and the ceremonial unveiling of these projects must remain neutral, inclusive, and representative of the entire population, not just the governing party.

Some may argue that similar conduct occurred under the previous APNU+AFC administration. I welcome such scrutiny and challenge any individual to present credible evidence of state events under the Coalition Government where partisan branding was used in this manner. If any such cases do exist, they too should be condemned. However, what is unfolding under the PPP/C appears to be a systemic effort to normalize party dominance over public life, something no democracy should tolerate.

The growing conflation of government and party functions suggests a troubling disregard for governance norms and democratic accountability. It reflects a broader pattern by the PPP/C administration of exploiting state platforms to consolidate political control; an approach that must be firmly resisted.

As we approach the 2025 elections, I urge all Guyanese to remain vigilant, speak out, and demand the separation of party and state. We cannot allow partisan promotion to infiltrate public institutions and undermine our democratic processes. This is yet another reason why the PPP/C must be held accountable, and ultimately rejected at the ballot box.

Yours truly,

Annette Ferguson

Former Member of Parliament, APNU+AFC