Organise!
April-May Newsletter of the People’s National Congress Election Campaign
Women will make the difference.
Delegates from the Rupununi Region
P eople’s National Congress Reform Presidential
Candidate Brigadier (ret) David Granger called
on women to continue the fight for complete equal-
ity. He made this call in his address to the National
Youth urged to ‘Get Ten’ D
Young women at the Convention
2011
Congress of Women’s Special Convention on Sat-
urday 9th April 2011 at Congress Place. Held under
the theme, Mobilising and Empowering Women
for Governance, the Convention’s aim was to mo-
bilise the women of the Party and to discuss their
role and participation in the forthcoming general
and regional elections.
Brigadier Granger assured the women that they
must be on an equal footing with men. He added
that women should be enabled to play their full
and equal role in the development of their families,
communities and the nation as a whole. He pledged
that gainful employment opportunities for women,
both urban and rural, will be the goal for a Grang-
er- led Administration and that all girl children will
gain equal access to post-primary education.
Granger told the Convention that women will de-
termine the outcome of the next general election.
It was therefore up to them to develop a strategy
which will create the framework for the PNCR to
win the election.
avid Granger has called on the youths to start
what he called the “Get Ten Movement.” Ad-
dressing the Guyana Youth and Student Move-
ment’s National Youth Convention on Saturday
14th May 2011 at Congress Place, Granger asked
each delegate to recruit ten persons who had never
voted before to get registered to vote in the forth-
coming elections. This Convention aimed at mobil-
ising our youth for their role and participation in
the upcoming National and Regional Elections.
Granger, in the course of his feature presentation,
noted that the youths were the ones with the imagi-
nation to innovate, initiate and investigate; with the
interest to communicate, network, share and ex-
change ideas through the new media such as face-
book; with the independence to explore, travel and
hang out and with the intuition, energy, passion to
propel change and pursue their personal goals.
 2 Organise!
PPPC sustains a ‘corial economy’ in the Barima-Waini Region
Children in the Barima - Waini Region
PNCR Presidential Candidate Brigadier David Grang-
er has accused the People’s Progressive Party Civic of
maintaining a ‘corial economy’ in the Barima Waini
Region. The Region – the country’s fourth largest –
that produces a significant portion of gold, timber,
fruit and vegetables and is set to restart manganese
mining – has also become one of the poorest and most
underdeveloped. Everywhere in the Region, there is
evidence of poverty and economic stagnation, espe-
cially among the large indigenous population.
Granger led a PNCR outreach team accompanied by
his wife Sandra, Party Vice-Chairman Dr George Nor-
ton, MP, Mr Desmond Fernandes, MP and District
Chairman Mr Richard Alleyne on a four-day visit on
15th - 18th April to meet residents of eleven communi-
ties in the Region.
At Matthew’s Ridge, Arakaka and Port Kai-
tuma, residents complained bitterly about cases of
child abuse and people-trafficking in the numerous,
unruly and under-policed mining camps. Residents
called for a stronger police presence to patrol mining
camps – especially in the Five Star and Tiger Creeks
areas.
At Morawhanna, the little settlement suffers
from chronic flooding which has hampered develop-
ment over the years. Despite a strong security pres-
ence by members of the Defence Force Coast Guard
and Police Force, long-term prospects for the settle-
ment’s economic viability are grim.
At Mabaruma, years after being promised an
efficient ferry service, residents complained that the
stelling at Kumaka – the Region’s main river port –
remains a sunken wreck in the Aruka River. The ail-
ing MV Kimbia – the main lifeline for passengers and
cargo – is woefully inadequate. It was observed that
the Hosororo Agricultural Station which flourished
during the earlier PNC administration, had declined.
At Bumbury Hill on the Aruka and at Huru-
daia on the Moruca, youths complained about the ab-
sence of employment opportunities and recreational
and sport amenities.
At Hotoquai, Hobodeia, Aruau and Warapo-
ka, residents told the PNCR team that marketing of
their farm produce had become a major problem over
the past 18 years. No agency now performs the role
once played by the former Guyana Marketing Cor-
poration. Farmers, as a result, produce traditional
crops, take them over long distances by small boats
to Kumaka where they are offered unprofitable and
unreasonably low prices by predatory middlemen.
Many of them are trapped in subsistence farming or
are forced to abandon agriculture altogether.
Brigadier Granger, Dr. Norton and Mr. Fernandes, ad-
dressing residents in the various communities, point-
ed to the fact that, despite its potential, the Region
still suffered from a ‘corial economy.’ They explained
that the economy had become uncompetitive because
farmers were unable to access the market in Kumaka
and elsewhere. Their children’s education was ham-
pered because pupils had to paddle corials for several
hours every day to move to and from schools, leaving
little energy for assignments.
Primary School Children of the Barima-Waini Region
 Organise! 3

Crime is strangling the economy

B rigadier Granger addressed the issue of the im-
pact of crime on the economy on the weekly
‘Facing the Nation’ television programme and in
out a number of fake policies which everyone knows
simply don’t, won’t and can’t work.

meetings with the Private Sector Commission and * GMSA encounter: PNCR Presidential Candi-
the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Associa- date Brigadier (ret) David Granger reassured Guy-
tion. ana’s Manufacturing and
Business Sectors of a se-
* Facing the na- cure environment and an
tion Appearing on the educated work force in a
People’s National Con- more productive econo-
gress Reform weekly my. Granger gave these
television programme assurances during his fea-
“Facing the Nation” on ture presentation at the
Friday 8th April, Presi- Guyana Manufacturing
dential Candidate Brig- and Services Association’s
adier David Granger Business Luncheon on
told viewers that the Wednesday 11th May 2011.
crime situation is the Granger told the gather-
most pressing and most ing at the Pegasus Hotel in
depressing problem fac- Georgetown that Guyana’s
ing ordinary Guyanese Meeting business leaders future will be determined
today. by the success of private
enterprise. He therefore made three promises to the
Granger pointed to the fact that the PPPC admin- Manufacturing and Business Sector.
istration doesn’t seem to know what to do to pre-
vent the influx of illegal firearms. He told the view- The first promise was to make the country a safe
ers that the PNCR understood its responsibility to place for future investors and business owners and
ensure public security and human safety. “We shall all other citizens. Reforming the Guyana Police
ensure that ordinary citizens do not continue to suf- Force was his top priority.
fer because of poor public security. We shall ensure
that Guyanese can live in safety”, Granger declared. Granger’s second promise was to make Guyana an
‘Education Nation’ once again. There is a high rate
* PSC encounter: Brigadier Granger told a meet- of illiteracy and schools have to be shut down be-
ing of the Private Sector Commission on 4 May that
th
cause of insanitary conditions. He was confident in
the daily crime situation in this country is frighten- his ability to reduce the problems that plague the
ing. The Police Force seems to be clueless about education sector.
formulating a plan to staunch the influx of illegal
firearms and about how to identify and counter the Granger’s third promise was to provide the environ-
mushrooming of numerous amateur gangs. Grang- ment in which an economy that was honest and pro-
er observed that the PPPC administration, over the ductive could thrive. He iterated his commitment to
years, received numerous well-reasoned recommen- good governance and his plan to have an efficient,
dations from several UK-funded consultancies and educated professional Public Service in which all
local commissions. It rejected the best of them and public servants – Customs, Environment, Forestry,
failed to act decisively against the causes of crime. Mines, and Police Officers – would be more respect-
The PPPC administration seemed content to roll ed and better rewarded.
 4 Mobilise!
Campaign Journal Teachers’ and Guyana Local Government Officers’
Unions.
Jesus New Covenant Ministry:
Vreed-en-Hoop:

A
s he continued
his mobilisa-
A t the invitation of the Jesus New Covenant Minis-
try, David Granger delivered an address on ‘Dis-
cipline’ at a Special Women’s Convention on 5th May.
tion visits to villages Granger explained that the words ‘disciple’ and ‘disci-
around the country, pline’- which derived from the same root - emphasised
PNCR Presidential the importance of Christ’s teaching to attaining the
Candidate Brigadier ‘good life’ through self-discipline.
(ret) David Granger
called on party mem- Linden Town Week:

G
bers at the Vreed- ranger congratulated resi-
en-Hoop Secondary dents of Linden on the
School to understand the importance of the nation- anniversary of their township
al registration process. He explained that unless at the opening ceremony of
citizens registered and uplifted their identification ‘Linden Town Week’ held on
cards, they would not be able to vote in the upcom- Easter Sunday – 24th April. He
ing general elections and make the difference that reminded Lindeners of the fact
the country needed. that the town would be an important economic hub
both externally in the country’s trade with Brazil and
Bartica Regatta:
South America through the Rupununi and internally

D avid Granger, speaking at the opening of the

Bartica Re-
gatta on Easter
as an artery to the mining areas in the Potaro-Siparuni
and Cuyuni-Mazaruni Regions.

Sunday, congrat- Veterans meeting:

ulated the Re-
gion for over 40
years of holding
B rigadier (ret) David
Granger – himself a
member of the Guyana Vet-
the festival. He
erans’ Foundation, Guyana
challenged the
Legion and XGDF Associa-
organisers and
tion – promised veterans
the business community to invest a little more in
of the disciplined forces to
order to include the young indigenous boys from
pay close attention to their
the Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Rupununi
quality of life after retire-
and Potaro-Siparuni Regions.
ment. Addressing the Association’s monthly meeting
Labour day: on Sunday 1st May, Granger called for a revision of reg-
ulations for retirement and the introduction of grants
P NCR Presidential Candidate Brigadier (ret)
David Granger joined workers in Georgetown
to celebrate Labour Day on 1st May. After attend-
for education, private enterprise and land settlement,
among other things.
ing the traditional Guyana Trades Union Congress Albouystown mobilisation:
rally at the Critchlow Labour College, Granger and
David Granger joined PNCR party workers and local
PNCR Shadow Minister for Labour Basil Williams
residents in mobilization exercises in the Albouys-
met workers of the Guyana Public Service, Guyana
town Ward on 2nd May.

© Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Acknowledgment : Photographs are reprinted with the kind permission of the National Media and Publishing
Company Ltd. Mobilise! is published for the People’s National Congress Reform Elections Campaign and is intended for free distribution.