โฆNagamootoo rips Jagdeo for politically insensitive motion
โฆsays move is to stir the fever of divisiveness
PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has dismissed the no confidence motion filed by the opposition as politically insensitive given President David Grangerโs state of health; and he says the motive is to stir up the โfever of divisivenessโ in the country.
At a news conference on Friday hosted by the coalition at Congress Place, Sophia, Nagamootoo stated that the move by the Peopleโs Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Leader is โchildishโ and ill-motivated.
โIt is very insensitive, the timing of a motion of no-confidence in government at a time when the sitting President is out of the country receiving medical attention. It is insensitive!โ
โWhere is the Guyanese compassion? Where is the Guyanese attitude of caring, of showing concern?โ the prime minister asked, adding: โSo I believe that it was a politically insensitive and childish move.โ
The prime minister also criticised the comments made by Jagdeo at his most recent press conference where he posited that whether the PPP wins the motion or not, the country will benefit as the opposition will be able to point out the coalitionโs wrongdoings.
These remarks, Nagamootoo believes, are proof that the opposition leader is ill-motivated in the tabling of the motion.
โIt [the motion] has other motivations to breathe disaffection in the country to be able to stir the fever of divisiveness that the PPP invested in the communities because I know, I come from Berbice, [and] the level of ethnic division and hateโฆthat they have sown in that community, they have to now find a โfig leafโ to cover their shame of what they did during the campaign. So, they want to show that they have a moral obligation out of these elections โthat there was some sort of a referendum in the Local Government Electionsโso that they can move to say ipso facto the government should resign,โ Nagamootoo said.
He then added: โThis is not Donald Ramotar, this is Granger and Nagamootoo. They will be no surrender.โ
The prime minister also added that the Speaker of the National Assembly holds the ultimate decision on whether the motion is admissible, especially at a time when the House is moving towards consideration of the budget estimates. โIt has to be examined in the face of that. What is the political work of this no-confidence motion,โ? he queried. Similarly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister (ag) Carl Greenidge referred to the no-confidence motion as โopportunisticโ and one which seeks to take advantage of the Presidentโs absence.
โIt is trying to take advantage of what is a situation that I think, in normal circumstances, would be regarded as distasteful. You take advantage of apparently somebodyโs challenges and misfortunes to try and create political capital,โ the acting prime minister said.
He further rebutted the claims of the opposition that the motion was made in the interest of the nation, stating: โMr. Jagdeo has claimed that it is in the national interest when it is for the nation to make that decision; and it cannot be in the national interest to, knowingly, lay before the house a motion which simply seeks to take an opportunity to sow division within the nation.โ
โWe are, at this point in time, looking at the national budget, a very important budget; it is the last budget before the elections of 2020 [it is] important to all of us for the things it needs to address and here is an attempt by the leader of the opposition arguing that it is in the national interest.โ