LINDEN, REGION TEN — Palm Tree Square turned into a sea of green and black on Sunday night as thousands packed the streets to hear Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton call for the PPP to be “palmed out of existence” in the September 1 elections.
The APNU Presidential Candidate pulled no punches, accusing Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP government of “years of experience in failure,” blaming them for stalled projects like the Skeldon Sugar Factory, the fiber optic cable, and the still-unfinished Linden athletics track.
“They’re too corrupt, too incompetent to lead,” Norton told the roaring crowd. “If Guyana is to grow, the PPP must go!”
In a speech heavy on promises, Norton vowed to deliver what he called “real change” for Linden — more jobs, mortgage assistance, rent-to-own housing, and cheap, reliable electricity to fuel industries beyond bauxite. He pledged to revive agriculture in Region Ten, reintroduce free school transportation, expand early childhood education, and reopen the Charles Rosa School of Nursing, which he accused the PPP of closing out of “vindictiveness.”
Norton also laid out a package of financial relief measures: $100,000 annual cash transfers to households, subsidies for water and electricity, stipends for youths in training programs, and a raise in the minimum wage to $200,000 per month. Nurses, teachers, and public servants, he promised, would finally get “a livable income.”
Many in the crowd said the promises gave them hope. “We’re tired of the same old story. This time, we want action,” one Linden mother of three said, clutching her youngest child as she listened to Norton speak.
As fireworks lit up the night sky, Norton left supporters with one final rallying cry: “On September 1, vote to replace a government that enriches itself with one that puts you first. Let’s palm out the PPP once and for all!”
