Dear Editor,
Everything seems to be going PPP way. I have not seen any published poll on the elections, nothing from pollster Dr Vishnu Bisram and NACTA that usually gave a guide or hint on the outcome in previous elections. He was forthright for every election going back to 1992, cheering for the PPP. Why is the learned, good doctor, among a few objective commentators, not commenting on the elections?
It is my informed view that the ruling PPP will win the elections. Here are some reasons: PPP has been doling out billions of dollars in state revenues to buy the electorate; some African and Mixed contractors and cricketers and footballers have been getting contracts to bring the African and Mixed votes to the PPP and indeed many are rallying with the PPP. Entertainers are also paid to bring out the Africans and Mixed. The party is touting high energy crowds. I am reliably informed that Africans and Mixed are being paid up to $50,000 to attend a rally and have been promised huge amounts to vote for the PPP.
The expectation is the Africans and Mixed will make up for the Indians who have moved away from the PPP, repulsed from the stench of widespread corruption and abuse of power. I will take the $50,000, the phone, the phone cards, and whatever else offered for Election Day but the ruling PPP won’t have my vote. Yes, phones and phone cards are also being doled out in addition to the cash. Imagine how much money the PPP has at its disposal to buy the elect. And the foreign observers are not saying anything about this obscenity. Indians are getting small change just enough to buy a drink and fried rice to attend rally. The part time workers, getting $40,000 a month must attend rallies or an amount is deducted from their monthly pay. If they openly support another party, they lose the part time job. Any Indian or Amerindian who publicly supports an opposition party is ostracized and victimized; they lose their contracts and other benefits.
A wealthy businessman is paying Amerindians $50,000 to put on a PPP tee shirt and rally with the party with the expectation that they will vote for the cup; grants are given to some to fix their homes. The PPP is bussing and recycling people from rally to rally. WIN is also recycling supporters. APNU and the other three parties lack the resources to recycle or bus supporters to rallies. The PPP registered 29,000 Venezuelans (of Guyanese ancestry) on the coast and another 8,000 in the interior. Also, the PPP is organizing to bring voters from Suriname, Trinidad, New York, Florida, and Toronto to boost the numbers.
In addition, the PPP has registered several thousands Commonwealth voters from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. Did all of them meet the residency requirement of 15 months?
Based on the above reasons, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the PPP will comfortably win a majority of seats unless voters, with a conscience, decide to punish the ruling party for its abuse of powers and unbearable corruption. Paying people to attend a rally may not necessarily translate into votes for the payer. Voters must use their ballot wisely. African and Mixed voters must think about their ancestors— don’t sell your votes to footballers and cricketers who have been bought out and who seek to enslave you. Your ancestors will turn in their graves. Take the money of the betrayers and vote with conscience!
Yours truly,
Nigel Pilgrim
