Move to PPP/ defiance of no-confidenc

Four years ago, Jai Narine Singh Jr, well known as Don Singh, was feverishly battling on social media to remove the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) from government but today he is part of the Civic fold, part of the “bridge” between the rigidly structured and controlled PPP and civil society.

That is, at least, how he tells his story.

Speaking with Sunday Stabroek, Singh explained that after years as a citizen activist, he decided to step into formal politics to make sure his ideas for development are a formal part of government policy.

“My ideas are to help Guyanese and I can’t do that from the outside. I’m looking at it from a positive frame. I mean (PPP General Secretary Bharrat) Jagdeo could kick me to the curb after but I have to try,” he said.

The idea that he might be “kicked” out by the party after the March 2020 elections is firmly planted in Singh’s mind and reinforced daily by “well-wishers” who write him, comment on his social media posts and deliver well-meaning text messages.

It is so firmly planted that he repeats it no less than six times during a 20-minute interview.

“I might fail spectacularly but if I succeed fractionally that’s good enough for me,” he said almost pensively.

He explained that in 2015, he would’ve never considered being associated with the PPP even though his father was a former General Secretary of both that party and of the People’s National Congress. At that time, his main goal was getting rid of a party which had not been good for Guyana so much so that he put little thought into what would replace them.

“I don’t think we looked at what APNU+AFC would’ve done if they won. We were just dead set against the PPP. Getting rid of them was our goal; they were too arrogant and lofty and the allegations of corruption were too many,” he shared. ‘Fair play’ Singh has, over the last few years, become a local celebrity as a leading member of the mass-based Movement Against Parking Meters.

For months, he and hundreds of likeminded individuals picketed City Hall to have the metered parking project revoked and last year, he launched a failed bid to win a seat in the local government elections as an independent candidate. He lost that seat to current Mayor Ubraj Narine.

Most recently, the Movement against Parking Meters became the Mass Action People’s Movement (MAPM) as they broadened their focus with the aim of becoming “a civil society watchdog.”

The resignation of President David Granger and his Cabinet following the passage of a no-confidence motion on December 21 last year became their raison d’etre.

Singh told Stabroek News it was the government’s handling of this issue, and specifically its defiance of the Constitution