Elections 2025 is truly now in the homestretch. The PPP is a tried and tested election machinery. No political party has had the experience and the resilience of the PPP when it comes to elections, not in Guyana or anywhere else in CARICOM. Outside of a track record, ideas and policies and the trust people have for the leaders in the party, the PPP’s formidable election machinery is due to its strength in raising funds. The PPP has never relied on government funding for its elections’ campaigns. Unlike the PNC which up until 1992 and then in 2020 generously utilized government resources and the power of incumbency to force businesses to donate funds, the PPP raises its own funds.
Tens of thousands of Guyanese continue to pay to attend fundraisers organized by the PPP. It is the only reason why, in- or out- of government, the PPP out-performs its opponents in the utilization of elections paraphernalia. The sea of red shirts and caps across Guyana, with people freely and proudly wearing red shirts and red caps, during Elections 2025 campaign is as a result of its supporters willing to fund the party’s campaign.
In a letter prominently featured in Stabroek News on Monday July 28, Annette Ferguson alleged that the PPP is utilizing government funds for its paraphernalia that is resulting in the tsunami of red one sees in Guyana. Outside of her deliberate lies, she misses the point totally. If Annette and her colleagues truly believe that the PNC presently enjoys mass support, enough to even return as the major opposition party, then it should be easy for the PNC to raise funds. Ferguson’s anger is directed at the PPP because her own party is unable to match the PPP with election paraphernalia. Its inability to raise funds is due to the dwindling support-base. In stronghold after stronghold, the PNC has been stunned by the low turnout to its meetings. It has so far been a shocking rejection of the PNC by its support-base.
The PPP had 10,000 people for each of several fundraising dinners in Leonora, East Bank Demerara and East Coast Demerara. Ten thousand people paid to see a cricket match featuring the president as a player and captain of an international side. The PNC is unable to match these numbers even for free attendance to a rally. The PPP has always relied on its supporters to fund its campaigns. In the old days, the PPP passed around hats at public meetings to raise funds. Times have changed and now party supporters are attending dinners and cricket matches to donate to PPP’s election campaigns.
If the public response to fundraisers, political rallies and public meetings is any indication of the results for Elections 2025, the PPP is looking like winning in a landslide. The PPP rallies at Kitty (for the launching of the 2025 campaign), Albion and Anna Regina have been electrifying, with totally positive vibes and with record-breaking crowds. The same thing is happening with its public meetings. Public meetings across the country are showing every sign of a landslide victory. The recent public meetings at Tarla Dam (Meet-en-Meer Zorg) and Industry were bigger than rallies of the other political parties. PPP community meetings so far in New Amsterdam, a stronghold of the PNC, has encouraging signs that the PPP might well end up winning in New Amsterdam. In Linden, public meetings so far held by the PPP, provides encouraging signs that the PPP is likely to win more votes in that town than it has ever won.
In stark contrast, the PNC-led APNU has so far had a dreadful response as they take the Elections 2025 campaign on the road. Faced with the lowest turnout to their rallies and public meetings, they are blaming the PPP. The PNC leader, Aubrey Norton, blamed the PPP for the low turnout to its launching rally at Square of the Revolution a few Sundays ago. He claimed that people were there, just not seen. The people were there, just like the PNC’s copies of the SOPs, there, but not seen.
Ganesh Mahipaul takes the cake this week for ridiculous excuses. According to him, people should not estimate the PNC’s strength by the size of the crowds at their rallies and public meetings. He said they should pay more attention to the telephone calls and messages of support he receives in his what’s app every and each day. Norton says they are there, but not seen; Mahipaul says they are there in his phone.
Shocked by the low turnout, Dexter Todd claims it is because of unfair labeling. Todd railed at a recent public meeting that it is a lie that the PNC tried to rig the 2020 elections. He dared the PPP to provide proof. The first proof is within his reach – the PNC’s invisible copies of the “winning “ SOPs. Can Todd tell us if he has seen the “winning” SOPs? The other trove of evidence is presently in court where senior PNC members, together with senior GECOM staff, are charged with electoral fraud. The third trove of evidence has been published in the form of observer reports, all of which described the clumsy theft attempt. The 4th trove of evidence is available in the report of the International Commission of Inquiry into the 2020 elections. The 5th trove of evidence is with the thousands of Guyanese who the PNC accused of being “dead” voters or “absent” voters. The truth is the PNC led a wicked plot to thief Elections 2025.
In the meanwhile, Mohamed’s party is rapidly disintegrating because whenever they hold a public meeting without mobilization, they literally speak to themselves or they have to clumsily make up stupid excuses for cancelling. As for the AFC, the FGM and Broome’s party, they have literally given up already.
