From independence to COVID relief, Ali reminds Region Three of PPP’s 75-year fight for the people

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) took its campaign fire to Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, on Saturday night where thousands turned out to hear President Dr. Irfaan Ali deliver a rousing defence of his party’s record and a call for five more years in office.

“Brothers and sisters of Region Three,” the President began, his voice lifted above the sea of red-clad supporters, “tonight I am proud to stand on the platform of the PPP/C, on the shoulders of so many who came before me, who fought tirelessly for the greatest political movement in the Caribbean.”

President Ali praised former President and current Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo for his visionary leadership, noting that under Jagdeo’s stewardship the PPP/C proved itself as a party of the people—one that could take an ordinary citizen from humble beginnings and elevate him all the way to the presidency.

Ali reminded the packed crowd that for 75 years, the PPP has been at the forefront of every major struggle in Guyana—from the fight for independence and resistance against dictatorship to battling racism, criminality, and anti-democratic forces. “Today again,” he declared, “we are fighting to give you the best future you can have.”

The President sharply contrasted his party’s leadership with the alternative. “Our country needs leadership the world respects and wants to work with,” he said, recalling the failed attempts to rig elections in 2020. “The alternative is criminality and smuggling. That is the choice before you.”

Ali revisited the hardships endured between 2015 and 2020 under the APNU+AFC administration, which he said abandoned the people during times of crisis. He cited the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when, according to him, the then government “refused to do anything.” In contrast, Ali said the PPP, then in opposition, mobilised nationwide—distributing masks, organising food hampers, and going house-to-house in communities, even losing comrades in the line of service.

“I tell you this not for praise,” Ali explained, “but so you can understand the guiding philosophy of this party. Service and loyalty to the people—this is what the PPP stands for.”

The rally grounds erupted with chants as the President urged supporters to wear their red shirts with pride. “It is about success, it is about unity, and it is about building a future together,” he affirmed.