Hoyte emphasises `electoral justice' at Mash concert-- calls on supporters to remain calm
by Michael Da Silva
Leader of the People's National Congress (PNC) Hugh Desmond Hoyte, in his Mashramani address on Sunday night emphasized the party's demand for electoral justice, but called on his supporters to remain calm, while still staying motivated and mobilised. "The struggle continues", Hoyte said. Hoyte was at the time addressing approximately 30,000 persons who had gathered at the Square of the Revolution for the PNC's Mash concert. In his address, Hoyte told his supporters not to be complacent, since the struggle against a "fraudulent government" would have to continue. Hoyte called on his supporters to celebrate Mash with zest and not concede this right to the government in office. Addressing the older generation he referred to the state the British left Guyana in at the time of independence in 1966, and said, "they left us little infrastructure which we built from; we built bridges, schools, sea defences and institutions of higher learning, like the University of Guyana and the Cyril Potter College of Education. We made education accessible to the children of poor parents". Hoyte reminded the gathering of the importance of Coffy's struggle in 1763 to the Guyanese people. He said that Coffy was responsible for setting in train the struggle which culminated in Guyana becoming an independent nation, and four years later a republic. As though delivering his party's manifesto, Hoyte told a very enthusiastic crowd about his government's achievements, which, he said, were monumental. He cautioned the younger generation about possible retrenchment, making reference to the workers who had been retrenched during the PPP/Civic's tenure in office. "So far for this year, 94 employees of Sanata Textiles and 1,000 from Barama have been retrenched, and there are more to come", Hoyte said. Hoyte said that the PNC was committed to the audit process currently in train. The Master of Ceremonies for the night's proceedings told the gathering that the PNC was not at the National Park for the Flag-raising Ceremony, because the party did not recognise the government in office. On the stroke of midnight, the National Anthem was played by the Yoruba Singers, after which balloons were and a mini firework display mounted by supporters. Hoyte arrived at 9 p.m. to thunderous applause from his supporters who were entertained by stereo music until his arrival. Prayers were offered by members of Guyana's religious denominations, Moslem, Hindu and Christian, before the official programme got underway. A light drizzle sent part of the crowd scurrying for shelter, but the majority braved it and stood their ground. Ghost Crew (G-Crew), a gospel band from sister Caricom country, Antigua offered a few religious melodies which the crowd were attentive to, but when Pastor Kanhai took the stage, his band livened things up with a gospel calypso that had the crowd jumping and waving. This year's Calypso Monarch `Lord Canary' a former Minister of Culture during the PNC's tenure in office sang his winning calypso `A Talking bout Woman', and came back later to sing the party's song which he put together after the December 15 general election. The concert also included Indian dancing and a medley of folk songs by the Yoruba Singers, along with some soul music. 
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