Former Georgetown Mayor and Hindu priest Pt. Ubraj Narine has strongly condemned the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) over what he described as a disturbing display of political coercion and elitism at the party’s grand fundraising event last Friday night at the National Track and Field Facility in Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
In a statement issued following the event, Pt. Narine alleged that hundreds of vulnerable government-employed “ten-days workers” across Region Three were threatened with dismissal or non-payment if they failed to attend the PPP’s gathering.
“I was personally reached out to by several of my Guyanese brothers and sisters—hardworking citizens employed as ten-days workers under the government,” he said. “Their voices trembled with distress as they quoted the threats hurled at them: ‘If we na go, we won’t get pay and we will be take off the list.’ This is not governance—it is intimidation.”
According to Pt. Narine, residents from areas including Wales, Canal No. 1, and Canal No. 2 were pressured into attending, facing severe inconveniences such as hours-long traffic jams, fuel shortages, illness, and even missed flights.
“Is this the price Guyanese must pay just to keep their livelihoods under the PPP?” he asked.
Adding fuel to the criticism was the seating arrangement at the event, which Pt. Narine said starkly revealed a class divide. While the wealthy and politically connected sat in sponge-padded chairs, working-class citizens were relegated to ordinary plastic seats.
“That contrast was not just physical. It was symbolic,” Narine said. “It was a message from President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo: ‘Know your place.’”
Drawing from his Hindu background, Pt. Narine invoked terms such as Pakhandi (hypocrite), Durmukh (arrogant), and Kapat (deceitful) to describe what he views as the moral decay within the highest levels of Guyana’s current leadership.
He further accused President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo of running a government driven by “selfish interests, arrogance, and a disregard for the everyday struggles of our citizens.”
Calling on Guyanese to resist political bullying and reclaim their dignity, Pt. Narine issued a clear message ahead of the upcoming general elections.
“To my fellow Guyanese: Wake up. The time has come to put an end to this abuse of power. No one should be threatened for their job. No one should be forced into political events. No one should be treated like second-class citizens in their own country.”
“Let your voice be your weapon. Let your vote be your power. On September 1, 2025, vote the PPP out,” he urged.
Quoting a warning echoed across communities, he ended with a stark call: “Ayo betta open ayo eye! Y’all ain’t see wah really goin’ on. Guyana deserves better. And together, we can demand it.”
