10
GUYANA CHRONICLE Wedesday March 4, 2015
Former Opposition activist George Correia ...
‘I am willing to forget the past’ - ‘if we surrender Bibles, Qur’an, Gita’ AS the political atmosphere intensifies with General and Regional Elections slated for May 11 this year, known Opposition activist and overseas-based Guyanese businessman, George Correia, is calling on Guyanese to not forget the past, “unless we are willing to surrender our Bibles, Qur’an and Bhagavad Gita.” Correia, a known television personality and a man who many deemed as an Opposition activist due to his support for the Justice For All Party (JFAP) and his heavy criticisms against the Government, made this statement yesterday in an interview with this newspaper. According to the businessman, the current Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), is a shield of the “destructive” People’s National Congress (PNC); a party which “drove Guyana’s economy to the ground.” He said further that apart from the many corrupt practices of the PNC, the Burnham regime was known for its dictatorial tendencies which prevented progress in Guyana and stifled development. Elements within the party, he contended, are still within
the APNU coalition, which remains a risk factor of Guyana treading “dangerous” grounds again, should the APNU regain power. “The PNC’s slate is one which is not clean. The need to answer to the public, who killed Vincent Teekah and why he was killed; they need to answer who killed Dr. Walter Rodney; who killed Father Darke and who gave Rabbi Washington the opportunity to remain in Guyana and brutalise Guyanese when they searched for flour or sugar,” Correia said in a demanding tone. Continuing along that line, he posited a rhetorical question about Guyana’s debt when the PNC demitted office, leaving the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to “clean up their mess”. However, what is worrying, he said, is the fact that the same element which was responsible for driving Guyana’s economic stability to the ground was still within the Party and would be responsible for the same Ministry should APNU win this year’s elections. Against the backdrop of these economic and social de-
George Correia: ‘Nagamootoo has lost his sense of direction’ By Ravin Singh WITH his party’s recent decision to form an alliance with the main opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), executive member of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and Prime Ministerial candidate in the APNU-AFC coalition, Moses Nagamootoo has been deemed a man who “has lost his sense of direction” by political commentator George Correia. Correia’s comments were made against the backdrop of the AFC making a decision to join forces with APNU to “defeat the PPP” at the upcoming May 11th polls. The decision taken by the party has reaped heavy criticism in the public domain and even resulted in some longstanding members resigning from the party. Additionally, just recently, Executive member of the party, Raphael Trotman publicly admitted that the party had been losing support due to its decision to coalesce with APNU. As a result of this, Correia lamented that he is of the
firm belief that “Moses Nagamootoo has lost his sense of direction.” He said also that he is unaware whether the decision was supported by Nagamootoo because of “passion, hatred or just ignorance.” But the decision, he opined, is one which will cause the AFC to lose their support, resulting in the coalition’s defeat. “Yes, they will lose the support they got in the last elections,” he said. Commenting on the considerations that the AFC would have taken prior to making a decision to join APNU, a passionate Correia said that, “If you love your people, you will not send them to something they do not want; they are not your property or your slaves.” “These people are good people with good thinking ability who want the best for the country and future generations to come. I think he [Nagamootoo] has done a bad gamble. Maybe he is going senile. All because he did not achieve the post of Presidency, he broke away to achieve power and he still has none. I look at this as a
ficiencies under the PNC rule, Correia sought to challenge all Guyanese to not forget what has been done to Guyana by the PNC. “People say that we should forget the past, but I am only willing to forget the past if we agree to surrender our Bibles, Qur’an and Gita,” the political commentator said.
Political commentator, George Correia matter of childishness, selfish need and corrupt. Thank God that these men do not live forever,” the former Opposition activist said. Reflecting on what has transpired in previous times; Correia related that if the election is running the way it has been running for years, then this coalition “will not last”. He noted that the first attempt at a coalition did not last, as the PNC’s bullyism prevailed, which leaves room to predict that this coalition certainly will not last either. “The Constitution gives the President the power to do what he wants, when he wants and how he wants. And my prediction is that if APNU should win, men like Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan will be disbanded some time or the other from the Party and put away, because if you are a traitor to your own house, I cannot trust you in mine,” he added. Meanwhile, he sought to dismiss any claims that he has a personal vendetta against these men, stressing that, “I have nothing against these men but for the love of my country, I will do anything necessary to ensure that tomorrow holds a better future for Guyana.”