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General Secretary of the PPP/C and Vice President of Guyana, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo says the security forces are prepared to respond to any act that seeks to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the September 1 general and regional elections.

Addressing thousands of supporters at a PPP/C rally at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, Jagdeo highlighted the dangerous rhetoric from the political parties, including the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), led by Aubrey Norton, and the We Invest In Nationhood (WIN), led by U.S.-sanctioned businessman, Azruddin Mohamed.

He said both presidential candidates are setting the stage to claim that the PPP/C will rig the elections because they know that they will lose resoundingly.

“We’re heading to a huge, decisive, overwhelming victory for the PPP/C. And that victory will only be possible because of your support,” the party’s general secretary said.

He added, “Many of you are convinced that the victory will be decisive. And many of our opponents are convinced that we are going to win the elections…and I know this? When the rhetoric starts changing.

“Now, I’ve been around for a long time…from the ’90s all the way up to today.”

Noting that with defeat facing Norton and Azruddin, they have changed their language.

“Norton said, ‘If I don’t win, and if the elections are rigged, there will be trouble in Guyana.’

“And Azruddin Mohamed, in his delusional, mentally ill state, says, ‘I did a poll and my poll showed that I’m winning the presidency. I’ve already won in regions 1, 7, 8 and 9, and the PPP is planning to rig… and there’ll be trouble in Guyana.’

“Now, he has adopted the language of the PNC, the old language of the PNC,” Jagdeo noted.

As such, he committed that the security forces are ready to protect the nation.

“And I want to promise them that in case they try to create trouble when they are defeated by this massive victory of the PPP, they’re going to get into big trouble.

“The security forces are ready to take on anyone who tries to disrupt the peaceful poll in these upcoming elections,” the General Secretary said.

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Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Sunday electrified the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) rally in Stewartville, Region Three, urging thousands of supporters to transform their overwhelming show of support into a “super majority” at the September 1 General and Regional Elections.

Addressing what he described as the “biggest gathering Region Three has ever seen”, the Prime Minister told the crowd that their votes in 2020 changed the trajectory of Guyana forever — ushering in five years of rapid and widespread development.

“In February 2020, we were right here in Stewartville, and we asked you to give us five years. You did. And that was the best decision you made in your political life, because your vote ensured that Region Three and the whole of Guyana enjoyed five years of sustainable development. Everything you asked for, we delivered,” Phillips declared, as the crowd erupted.

The Prime Minister listed the many ways the government kept its promises.

“You asked for roads — you got them. You asked for water treatment plants — you got them. You asked for schools — and you got five new secondary schools right here in Region Three. Across the country, we built 42 secondary schools, 45 primary schools, and 67 nursery schools in just five years. Thousands of teachers were trained, and today you can walk into any hospital or health centre and receive the same level of care,” Phillips said.

He reminded supporters that the PPP/C’s 2020 manifesto was not empty words but a contract with the people. “We told you what we would do, and we did it,” he said, pointing to new infrastructure such as the soon-to-be-opened Demerara River Crossing and the bridge in Linden. “The opposition spoke about plans, they dreamed about bridges — but they never built them. We built them.”

Phillips underscored the PPP/C’s philosophy of shared prosperity, reminding the gathering that key services remain free under the government’s stewardship.

“Education is free, healthcare is free, bridges are free. That is how we share prosperity in this country,” he said.

The Prime Minister also pointed to significant financial relief and economic progress. “We increased the income tax threshold by 100% in the last five years. We raised public sector wages by more than 40%. As Guyana’s economy grows, we are making sure more money goes into your pocket — that is our commitment.”

In sharp criticism of the opposition, Phillips dismissed APNU+AFC as unfit to govern.

“APNU is a waste of time. AFC is a dead beat. One candidate is already sanctioned, and Guyana will not vote for a sanctioned man. And then there is Aubrey Norton — fired by Desmond Hoyte, fired by the University of Guyana, and even fired by David Granger. How can you put the future of this country in the hands of a man who can’t even hold down a job?” the Prime Minister asked, drawing loud jeers from the audience.

Phillips ended his rallying call by reminding supporters that their votes were the key to ensuring Guyana’s continued transformation.

“Your vote is the most powerful weapon you have — and we respect it. It is your vote, combined with our hard work, that has brought us this far. But to deliver more for you, we need five more years. Let us convert this tsunami into a super majority on September 1 — before bird wife wake up,” Phillips said to laughter and cheers.

 

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In the presence of thousands of people at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara on Sunday, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, urged Guyanese to vote President Irfaan Ali back into office at the September 1 general and regional elections.

Comparing Ali to the genip season of “taste and buy”, Manickchand reminded residents at the PPP/C rally that they have already “tasted” him.

“You’ve seen him come through in hard times and good times for you.

“We [have] tasted Irfaan, he is sweet, he is juicy, he is plumb with goodness, and I am encouraging you to buy him again on September 1. Because when you buy him with your vote…you know what you’re getting in the next five years,” Manickchand said.

Thousands at the PPP/C rally in Stewartville, WCD (Photo: News Room/ Vishani Ragobeer/ August 24, 2025)

She reminded Guyanese of life under the former APNU+AFC administration.

“You remember how broken and bowed and slumped shoulders we walked around with? Because we were afraid.

“We are voting for Irfaan and the PPP/C because you have tried him, you have tested him.”

She reminded that when the PPP/C assumed office in 2020, 865 children could not sit in a secondary school because there was no space for them.

“There was no space for them because the previous government did not build a single secondary school in five years and in his three-and-a-half-year term, Irfaan is building five secondary schools in Region Three alone,” Manickchand said.

She noted that a vote for the PPP/C is a vote for their future and their children’s future.

“To stand with the PPP/C is to stand up for yourself, it’s to look after yourself, it’s to make sure your children have a future you never even could have dreamt of.

“It is to make sure your parents can retire in dignity,” the education minister concluded.

 

The post ‘You tested him and he proved himself in hard times’ – Manickchand urges Region 3 to re-elect Irfaan Ali appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the University of Guyana, Dr Kofi Dalrymple, took the stage of the PPP/C rally at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, on Sunday, urging residents to return President Dr Irfaan Ali to power.

A son of the West Coast of Demerara, Dr Dalrymple, urged Guyanese not to put their future at risk and to vote at the September 1, general and regional elections for the only party that “makes sense.”

“I do not have to tell you who to vote for because you already know who you must vote for. You already know that the PPP/C is the only party that makes any sense in these elections.”

Speaking to a massive crowd, Dr Dalrymple reminded residents of the transformation taking place across the country under Ali’s leadership.

Supporters at the PPP/C rally at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (Photo: News Room/ Vishani Ragobeer/ August 24, 2025)

“I do not have to tell you to support your President because you already know that it is under his leadership that Guyana has seen transformation like never before.

“I don’t have to tell you that we will not risk going backwards because you already know what it is to live under high taxes, you already know what it is to have your cash grants taken away from your children.”

Dr Dalrymple, who said he was born at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, told the mammoth crowd that it he “grew up on these very streets of Stewartville.

“It was you who kept me. It was my community that looked out for me. I am not a stranger to you. It was you who pushed me to do my best. It was you who told me that I must go to the university and study. It was my community who supported me when I wanted to get my master’s degree.”

He added, “Dr Ali and I and everyone from Region 3 that sits on this stage is proof that when children from communities like these are given a chance to succeed, that they can rise to the highest levels in Guyana and across the world.”

He said it is now the mission of the PPP/C “to ensure that every child in Guyana gets the same opportunity to succeed. It is now our mission to ensure every child is given what they need to lead, to rise up and to lead the future of Guyans and that is why I support the People’s Progressive Party.”

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Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, has assured the people of Kwakwani in Region Ten that the PPP/C government will move swiftly to rebuild the Kwakwani Secondary School, which was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning.

In a pre-broadcast video shared on his Facebook page on Sunday, Edghill described the blaze as a “regrettable” tragedy but underscored that the government is committed to ensuring the community’s children and parents are not left disadvantaged.

“Whatever is the cause of that fire, it is regrettable. Children need to be served, a community needs to be served.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill

“Having engaged with my superiors, I am proud to announce that the President Ali PPP administration—now, and the one that will be elected as of September 1—will rebuild the Kwakwani Secondary School, and this will be done speedily,” Edghill announced.

Edghill reassured residents that immediate steps are being taken to ensure learning continues without interruption.

“Parents, students, community of Kwakwani, please be assured your pain, your suffering, your loss will be remedied soon. We will work with the regional and local authorities to ensure that by the time school is ready to be reopened, alternative accommodations are made.

“There will be no learning loss, and we will overcome every challenge—just like we have done since 2020, when we came into government,” Edghill said.

Additionally, Edghill emphasised that the administration remains steadfast in its commitment to the people of Kwakwani and the wider Berbice River area.

“Kwakwani, be assured your government will work for you, is working for you, and will continue to engage you and work with you. While there is heavy conversation and pain and loss factored in, the President Ali government commits to the people of Kwakwani and the Berbice River that the Kwakwani Secondary School will be rebuilt—and will be rebuilt speedily,” he said.

Police Headquarters, in a statement, said the fire started at approximately 03:40 hrs and completely gutted the one-storey concrete building in Pathville, Upper Berbice River.

The cause of the blaze is yet to be determined, and an investigation has been launched.

According to the police report, a Corporal attached to the Mackenzie Police Station was attending the annual Kwakwani Village Fair at the nearby ballfield when he noticed flames coming from the Pathville area. He promptly alerted the Kwakwani Police Station. A Police Sergeant and two other ranks responded and found the school engulfed in flames.

Efforts to contain the fire were led by local auxiliary staff, including driver Julian Martin and assistant Jishan Martin, using a fire pick-up vehicle. Despite their efforts, the structure was already beyond saving.

The school, which was powered by electricity from Kwakwani Utility Inc., had reportedly experienced power outages throughout the night.

Police further reported that a security guard attached to Homesafe Security Service, who was on duty at the time, discovered smoke coming from the Headmistress’s office on the southwestern side of the building during routine checks. He immediately contacted his supervisor, Elizabeth Samuels.

The Kwakwani Secondary School was one of the main educational institutions in the Berbice River community, serving hundreds of students.

The post Gov’t to rebuild Kwakwani Secondary School ‘speedily’ – Edghill assures after devastating fire appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Toralpher Simon Harry, a 30-year-old porter employed by Guyana Water Inc. was early Sunday morning fatally stabbed during an argument with his alleged attacker, a Venezuelan national on the Vreed-en-Hoop Public Road, West Bank Demerara.

The incident occurred around 03:00 hrs in the vicinity of the Bright Star Chinese Restaurant.

According to initial reports, the suspect, a u Venezuelan national who is yet to be identified remains at on the run.

Police Headquarters stated that Harry, a resident of Lot 24 Best Village (Foreshore), West Coast Demerara and his friend, 30-year-old Naipaul Sukhdeo, had earlier attended a Car and Bike Show at the Leonora National Stadium and were heading home when they stopped to purchase hot dogs at a stall opposite Bright Star Chinese Restaurant.

Sukhdeo recounted that while they were placing their order, Harry became involved in an argument with the suspect.

The verbal altercation quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, which continued across the southern side of the roadway near Dalga Luck Chinese Restaurant, Police said.

It was at this point, Sukhdeo said, that the suspect drew a knife.

In an attempt to defend himself, Harry removed his belt and tried to fight off the attacker. He ran back across to the northern side of the road but collapsed shortly after, bleeding heavily from a wound to the neck.

According to Sukhdeo, the suspect then boarded a minibus parked near the hot dog stand and fled the scene, heading east toward the Vreed-en-Hoop junction.

Realizing the severity of the injury, Sukhdeo rushed to his friend’s aid and observed a stab wound on the left side of his neck.

Harry was immediately transported to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctor on duty.

Police investigators who responded to the scene recovered a knife without a handle, believed to be the murder weapon, along with a brown belt. Both items bore what appeared to be bloodstains.

Law enforcement also canvassed the area for surveillance footage and confirmed the presence of several CCTV cameras in close proximity to the incident, which are expected to aid in the ongoing investigation.

Harry’s body was examined and a single suspected stab wound was observed to his neck.

His remains have since been taken to Ezekiel Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination is pending.

Police are appealing to the public for any information that may lead to the identification and apprehension of the suspect.

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In a fiery and emotional video statement, Forward Guyana Chairman, Dorwain Bess, launched a scathing criticism at United States (U.S.)-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, branding him “corrupt,” “manipulative,” and unfit of public trust.

Bess and others founded the V-PAC movement, a political party; they later coalesced with Forward Guyana, founded by Amanza Walton-Desir.

Bess accused Azruddin of wielding authority irresponsibly, alleging that he improperly took his fuel license rather than assisting him when needed, and it is among the main reasons why he did not join forces with him to contest the September 1 general and regional elections.

“When they took my license, an uncle of mine went to Azruddin’s father, pleaded with him…he turned and say ‘duh is the man you doing business with? Oh Jesus Christ, dah wrong man you choose.’ Like I is a criminal,” Bess said in the video statement.

According to Bess, he was shocked when he later learned that Azruddin was in the fuel business.

“I know this man in gold and all other things, you’re telling me the one thing I get, this man now have the business? This is not normal. So, you’re telling me, corruption is only corruption when it happens to certain people?

“You [Azruddin] sat there and watched when they discriminate me and tek my one thing when you get 30 or 40 companies and now you’re crying?

“You were benefiting from the corruption that I’ve been facing because you sat there and watched them…”

Bess said that despite his issues with Azruddin, his party members, including Francis Bailey, Antonio Ahmad (also known as Antonio Tours), and Nigel London, convinced him to meet with Azruddin.

According to Bess, Azruddin has attempted to sow discord within the leadership of V-PAC, pitting members against one another and coercively drawing them into his own political movement.

“Antonio called me and say the man [Azruddin] said he want nothing to do with me, I used to smuggle fuel and I corrupt. Team Mohamed ain’t want meet with me because I corrupt?

“So, I called Mr Mohamed. I said, ‘Good afternoon, Mr President…’ the first thing the man said, ‘yeah budday, wah we doing bai? These people wicked, you see what they doing to me?’

“I said to myself, you now know what discrimination is and expect Guyana to run behind you? I said we got to meet…the man went on to say, ‘don’t bring Antonio though. I don’t want nothing to do with him, he’s too corrupt.’ Antonio say the man said I corrupt, now the man telling me Antonio corrupt.”

“Everybody else corrupt but him?”

Bess said he decided not to attend the meeting, and he never mentioned what Azruddin said to Antonio. However, he later found out that Antonio had gone behind his back and met with Azruddin.

“One morning I see on the internet Antonio with the man; Antonio vex with me and gone behind my back. Antonio left me. Wah this man really doing? Playing us against each other?”

Bess described Azruddin as a narcissist and a one-man show who operates without genuine peer support or collaboration.

Despite all of this, Bess claimed that his colleagues again organised another meeting with Azruddin, and he attended.

“When I left the meeting, the man went behind my back and called three other members of my party, asking them ‘how can we work together directly?’

“You have done demonstrated to me that you took a fuel company that I used to have, you ride around this town with siren and you’re not law enforcement, you living like a superstar…yuh getting favours from the government and you’re telling me that you’re going to help Guyana but your attitude is demonstrating that nothing ain’t really change.

“Because if I sit down with you as a man at a table and on my side of the table is 10 people and you cherry-picking them to come with you…that speaks of a person that ain’t really change,” Bess said.

He explained that during the meeting, Azruddin told them that they should forget about V-PAC and join Team Mohamed’s.

“I went to that meeting…when I got to this meeting now..hear wah this man offer me now… ‘I like your manifesto, I like your housing plan…leh we wuk together.’ I said work together how? He say ‘yall done with V-PAC and come with me.’ At the time, the man didn’t even had a name (for his party).

“I closing down my V-PAC movement to come with a man and the man can’t even tell me the party name. Further to that, he couldn’t tell me what I coming for. I coming hay as an advisor, I coming hay as a watchman? You can’t tell me what my side giving up fuh but we must come.

“You is a king…and we must just follow you. So, I say no. The man cannot tell we what we coming fuh. Just come. You ain’t see the man ain’t got a Prime Minister onto now?”

Adding another layer to his criticism, Bess highlighted a serious concern: Azruddin was sanctioned by the United States Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and any association with him could put him [Bess] and his children at risk because they are U.S. citizens.

Bess repeatedly noted in his video statement that Francis Bailey, Nigel London and others can corroborate his story.

The post Forward Guyana’s Dorwain Bess slams Azruddin as ‘corrupt, manipulative’ and unworthy of public trust appeared first on News Room Guyana.

With just days to go before the September 1, 2025, elections, Member of Parliament Sanjeev Datadin is urging Guyanese to stand firmly with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and President Dr. Irfaan Ali, emphasising that only their leadership can deliver the transformation the country needs.

Addressing a public meeting in Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, on Saturday night before hundreds of supporters, Datadin reminded the gathering that the PPP has stood with the people for 75 years.

“One more time, you’ve got to stand with the PPP, you’ve got to stand with President Ali because he will take us forward. He will take us where we deserve to be,” Datadin declared.

He said President Ali has already proven himself as a transformational leader who delivers on his promises.

“He promised schools, he delivered. He promised jobs, he delivered. He removed the toll from the bridge and expanded it into four lanes. These are not just promises; these are achievements that change lives,” Datadin noted.

Datadin cautioned voters not to be distracted, urging them instead to choose vision and courage in the upcoming polls.

“If you want courageous leadership and true transformation, you must vote PPP/C and give President Ali a second term. The children of Guyana deserve it, the people deserve it,” he said.

According to Datadin, the choice before the electorate is clear: a proven leader with vision and courage who can continue to transform Guyana’s future.

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People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councillor Kevin Dey has dismissed the opposition’s latest election promise of “free house lots” as nothing more than a political gimmick, arguing that if such a policy were genuine, it would have been outlined in their manifesto.

Dey, as the first speaker, was at the forefront of criticism of the opposition on Saturday as the governing PPP/C hosted a public meeting at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara.

His remarks come days after A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) announcement that it would distribute free house lots to applicants earning less than $400,000 per month. The pledge was made in a Facebook post by APNU’s Vice-Presidential candidate, Ganesh Mahipaul, just days after the coalition’s manifesto was launched — without any mention of such a policy.

“The opposition is lying to people,” Dey charged. “If they were serious about free house lots, it would have been in their manifesto. They had five years in office and denied ordinary families the chance to own land. Now, weeks before an election, they suddenly want to promise what they never delivered.”

Drawing from his own experience, Dey recalled how he and his wife applied for a house lot under the previous APNU+AFC administration, only to be told there was no land available and that they would have to wait. “But after 2020, under the PPP, it was like a magic trick — suddenly, house lots were everywhere, and thousands of families were given the opportunity to own their own homes,” he said.

Dey argued that the coalition is now trying to claim credit for initiatives already rolled out by the PPP/C government, including the large-scale distribution of house lots and social programmes such as free CXC examinations. He recalled how, as a student, he had to pay for his exams, but today’s generation is benefitting from free education support.

On healthcare, Dey also noted that people are returning to Guyana for treatment that was once inaccessible locally. “My own father-in-law came back just to fix his teeth. That’s the kind of progress we’re seeing. Guyana is moving forward under the PPP, and people recognise the difference,” he added.

Calling on citizens not to be misled by empty promises, Dey urged them to vote for continued progress. “The choice is clear — the PPP/C delivers, and with the kind of development we’re seeing, it’s going to be a landslide victory,” he declared.

The post ‘No land then, how now?’ — PPP Councillor says APNU’s ‘free house lot’ promise a lie appeared first on News Room Guyana.

 

A potentially catastrophic disaster was averted early Saturday morning after a fuel tanker truck, laden with thousands of litres of gasoline and diesel, burst into flames along the Mabura road while en route to Lethem.

The incident occurred at about 05:15 hrs, when the tanker, bearing registration GAJ 9707 and owned by a 36-year-old businessman from Culvert City, Lethem, suddenly caught fire. At the time, the truck was being driven by 38-year-old Vijay Persaud, accompanied by his 20-year-old porter, Joseph Layne. They were transporting an estimated 19,500 litres of gasoline and 19,500 litres of diesel from Georgetown to Lethem.

Persaud told investigators that he heard a loud explosion — similar to a tyre blowout — and quickly pulled the truck to a stop. On inspection, he discovered the left rear tyre ablaze. Armed with a fire extinguisher from the vehicle, he attempted to douse the flames, but the effort proved futile as the fire spread rapidly.

Within minutes, the blaze engulfed the entire tanker, forcing both Persaud and Layne to run to safety. Miraculously, neither of them sustained injuries despite the highly flammable cargo.

Firefighters were summoned, and at about 11:15 hrs, Water Bowser #19, commanded by Sub-Officer Fenton Drepaul-Saul and a four-member crew, arrived on the scene. The team battled the inferno and managed to completely extinguish the flames by 12:30 hrs.

The charred remains of the truck were later cordoned off, and traffic along the busy interior road has since returned to normal.

Police confirmed that both Persaud and Layne are assisting with investigations into the incident.

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