In the wake of a successful youth conference at Tain Campus that saw over 3,000 young attendees at the weekend, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo addressed the media at a press conference on Thursday and reaffirmed the governing party’s commitment to youth empowerment.
He also criticized the opposition led People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) for its long history of rigged elections and economic mismanagement, urging young people to understand the country’s history and learn from the mistakes of the past.
Reflecting on the successes of youth engagements in recent months, which has attracted thousands of youngsters in every region, Jagdeo noted that those conferences have provided an opportunity to connect with the younger generation.
He stressed the importance of educating them on the country’s political history.
Jagdeo, who also serves as the General Secreatry of the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), highlighted the conference’s diversity, which included young people from various racial and religious backgrounds.
He believes this shows that the PPP’s message of unity was resonating across all communities.
He explained that the party’s goal was not just to preach ideology to young people but to bring them into the political process with a clear understanding of Guyana’s history and future potential.
Jagdeo reiterated the PPP’s belief in empowering youth to take on leadership roles and contribute to shaping Guyana’s future.
He emphasized that the PPP sees young people as the key to the nation’s continued progress, citing the party’s track record of providing leadership opportunities for youth, including himself, who began his political career in his twenties and became President in his thirties.
“We want to prepare our young people for the future. We want them to understand that Guyana’s future lies in their hands,” Jagdeo said.
“We don’t want them to think of themselves as victims of circumstance, but rather as the agents of change,” he added.
Part of the large gathering at the Youth Conference
While noting the PPP’s current engagement strategy, Jagdeo also took time to address what he called the “dark history” of the PNC, specifically highlighting the party’s record of rigging elections, poor economic policies, and failures that led to the nation’s decline during their 28 years in power.
He criticized the PNC for perpetuating a culture of electoral fraud, reminding young people that what they consider as “recent” instances of electoral irregularities in 2020 were not isolated events but part of a long-standing pattern.
“Many young people here today don’t know about the rigged elections and the authoritarian practices that were a hallmark of the PNC era,” he said.
“They don’t know that Guyana was as poor as Haiti when the PNC left office in 1992. They don’t understand the severe economic decline and how the nation regressed under their watch,” the VP added.
Jagdeo noted that while the young generation may have grown up under the PPP’s rule, they often don’t know the full extent of the PNC’s mismanagement.
He recounted specific examples of PNC failures, including the infamous “bread meat from wheat” policy.
Jagdeo also referenced a report by economist Alistair McIntyre from the 1990s, which compared Guyana’s poverty levels to Haiti, highlighting the deep economic challenges the country faced under the PNC.
“Under the PNC, you could go to jail for speaking out, for standing up for your rights,” he said.
“The rigged elections were part of their DNA. It wasn’t just a one-off event. It was how they held on to power for nearly three decades.”
Jagdeo emphasized that the PPP’s approach has been the opposite of the PNC’s policies.
A participant of the Youth Conference makes a point
Under the PPP, he pointed out, Guyana has made significant progress in education, infrastructure, and overall economic growth.
He credited the current administration with turning the economy around and providing opportunities for youth that were unimaginable during the PNC’s rule.
Jagdeo’s message to the youth was clear: to move forward, they must first understand where Guyana has come from.
“We want our young people to understand the history, not just the part of it that is told to them by others, but to go and read, to ask questions,” Jagdeo urged.
“They need to know that the PPP has always stood for freedom, equality, and unity, and that we are committed to ensuring that all Guyanese, especially the youth, have the opportunity to build a better future.”
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