| …both parties file police reports With Regional and General elections days away, contesting political parties have been seen amplifying their campaign strategies in an effort to come out victorious come May 11.APNU+AFC Candidate, Christopher JonesThe race to secure votes, a competitive one in nature, has however resulted in the main political parties, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) accusing each other of vandalism and intimidation.There have been complaints from both camps that supporters and even leaders have played parts in acts of vandalism and abuse. As a result, both parties have filed reports with the Guyana Police Force (GPF).Speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, APNU+AFC Executive,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, Christopher Jones, said that on Friday morning, members of his party filed a report at the Anna Regina Police Station after facing threats from members of the PPP.He said on Thursday night, a group of party activists were erecting party banners in the region when Senior PPP/C representative and Chairman of Region Two, Parmanand Persaud along with eight other party activists confronted them.According to Jones, the PPP/C team threatened his comrades stating, “If ayo only put up the banner, we gun kill ayo and all ayo gun leave right here on the road.’” He said that the persons, concerned by the threats, were forced to leave the area. The report was made at the(From Left to Right) Government Information Liaison, Kwame McKoy, Presidential Advisor, Gail Texeira and PPP/C Candidate, Charles Ramson JnrAnna Regina Police Station.Additionally, the party released a statement saying that this was the latest in a long line of APNU+AFC officials being “harassed, abused,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, bullied, intimidated and threatened by the desperate PPP/C regime.”The APNU+AFC condemned these acts of aggression and desperation in the strongest possible terms.“The Coalition also dismisses the malicious claims made by PPP/C officials that there is a centrally organized plan to harass the PPP/C activists. There is no such plan, and the APNU+AFC calls on the Guyanese people to judge the tone and temperature of the two political campaigns. The PPP/C is clearly propagating messages of division and hate and while APNU+AFC’s campaign is based on national unity, inclusion and harmony.”The party said in the face of the cowardly acts of intimidation and aggression by the PPP/C, it continues to call for calm and restraint of its supporters as victory is assured.Also, as the PPP/C hosted a press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street on Friday,China NBA Jerseys, representatives spoke of similar tactics being employed by APNU+AFC.PPP/C Assistant Election Agent for the Georgetown area, Gail Teixeira, said that party supporters have been the subjects of “overt and covert” intimidation from the APNU+AFC camp.She related that an act of covert intimidation was directed to the owner of a Middle Road, East La Penitence house, a known place of poll since 1977. She said the owner was intimidated and threatened by a group of women that “no one will be allowed to vote” at the said location.According to Teixeira, the party also reported to the police,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, cases of what she deemed intimidation at public meetings by persons wearing green and yellow and bearing APNU+AFC paraphernalia.Teixeira said while the behaviour was witnessed on most occasions by the police, ranks present were most times slow to control the intimidation and attacks being leveled at the party candidates and supporters.These cases of intimidation, she said, are escalating to the point where they are being forced to cancel public meetings, as was the case in Sophia recently.She said that “based on intelligence” the PPP/C had decided against a meeting in Sophia where Dr. Roger Luncheon and PPP/C candidate, Kwame McCoy were scheduled to speak. In one instance, she said, a man who was walking on Camp Street,China Jerseys, Georgetown wearing a PPP tee-shirt was physically abused and had to seek medical attention.Teixeira told media operatives that a vehicle belonging to an APNU+AFC supporter went into the Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara area and was pulling down PPP/C flags while in another instance, it was seen with others seen doing the same along Mandela Avenue.The PPP/C Assistant Election Agent was convinced that these acts were orchestrated, organised and engineered “centrally.” The party, she said, views these actions as a wanton attack on democracy given that every political Party must be free to mount election related materials.Freddie Kissoon and AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, were also singled out for alleged intimidation leveled against PPP/C candidate Charles Ramson Jnr.Ramson told the media that while flagging an area along Sheriff Street last Friday, Kissoon and about six others other rolled up in their vehicles and began a verbal abuse against him and other party comrades.But reports previously came into Kaieteur News, that members of the Progress Youth Organisation (PYO) were caught attempting to remove and deface the campaign posters of APNU+AFC as they replaced them with PPP/C posters.Ramjattan said that he was returning from a public meeting on the West Coast Berbice when he received reports from persons in the surrounding Sheriff Street area that PYO members were “defacing” paraphernalia belonging to the Coalition party.While there was a reported “face off,Wholesale Jerseys From China,” the incident attracted the attention of many in the public, Ramjattan related that the issue was resolved amicably.The PPP/C said that it is calling on the Police to pay heed to its concerns/reports and to do what is necessary to ensure an election that is free from fear and intimidation.Teixeira is also calling on the opposition coalition to speak out against the behavior of its supporters, adding that despite the ongoing situation, they have not once spoken out against it. |
