In an early morning Facebook presentation this morning as birds chirped in the compound at State House, President Irfaan Ali rejected claims that his party, the People’s Progressive Party, has bought out candidates and paid for support for the upcoming local government elections.  

He said such claims are an insult to some of the new faces that have joined the PPP for the local elections.

“Then you were saying that people were paid to put on a jersey, this is how you think and believe of our people? This is how you view our Guyanese brothers and sisters—especially our Guyanese brothers and sisters, that there are so susceptible that they can be paid to put on a jersey, this kind of disparaging politics and disparaging view of people is disrespectful and I denounce it,” the President said.

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton has accused the government of dolling out tax dollars for its nomination day activities. The President has rejected that claim.

“You cannot disparage people this way that they can be bought with money, that is what we fought against during slavery and indentureship. People cannot be bought in a modern society. You don’t believe that our afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters who joined us have the capacity to think and analyze for themselves,” the President questioned.

Some of the ruling party’s candidates for the local elections are persons who were recruited directly by the President, including businessmen and sporting personalities who have landed government contracts over the past few years.

The President said parties should campaign on ideas and not disparage people based on their political leanings.

Ali said his party is set to contest all local authority areas, with the aim of bringing development to those areas. He made an early morning appeal for citizens to support his party’s candidates at the upcoming polls.

Related posts:

President and Opposition Leader focus on main towns as Local Elections take place Local Government Elections must be held on time -says Opposition Leader AFC offers up its LGE Candidates for Public Debates President tells Anna Regina to correct damage done under PPP by electing APNU at Local Govt. Elections