Jagdeo says heroism of March 6 to safeguard democracy must not be forgotten

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday urged citizens to reflect on the heroism of all the ordinary Guyanese involved in efforts to safeguard the country’s democracy when it came under threat in 2020.

Jagdeo, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), reflected on the events of March 6, 2020. That was four days after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, the day when protests erupted in several areas over widespread dissatisfaction with the way the Guyana Elections Commission handled the process following the March 2 polls.

“We had massive protests at Lusignan, in Cotton Tree and in Bush Lot and a number of people, particularly young people, came out because they had been following the events of the previous four days and they saw what was taking place that what was happening before our eyes was that APNU was attempting to steal the elections right in front our eyes,” Jagdeo said at his weekly press conference.

Jagdeo said many protestors were shot at with pellets, many of whom still carry around those pellets in their bodies. For him though, those individuals were intent on fighting with the PPP/C for the preservation of democracy.

And he said, “Every day, they go around and they have some pain (because of the pellets).

“It’s a stark reminder of the period, the threat of the period for our country and their courageous act, their heroism, for standing up against the PNC and the AFC, and their combined attempt to rig the elections.”

Individuals who guarded the ballot boxes ahead of the national recount, Jagdeo said, were also among those whose contributions should not be forgotten. And those citizens, alongside the regional and international players who worked to ensure the will of the people was respected, should not be forgotten, he stressed.

As the country prepares for the 2025 General and Regional Elections, the Vice President opined that efforts are being made to erase the events of 2020. He rejected those efforts and affirmed that the PPP/C will once again win the elections.