PPP/C rejects national unity talks
November 17, 2015 By
– calls for scrapping of Social Cohesion Ministry
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has finally rejected the invitation for national unity talks with the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) and is now advocating for the scrapping of the Social Cohesion Ministry, which was established under the current administration.
During the party’s weekly media conference on Monday, PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee announced that the Central Committee, following ongoing consultations with its membership, concluded that, at this time, where there is continuous witch-hunting, arbitrary dismissals and brazen termination of contracts of long-standing government employees and public servants, among other reasons; the Party’s membership is not in the mood nor supportive at this time, to engage in national unity talks with APNU/AFC.
“In rejecting these overtures the Party wishes to make it clear that while it has always been open to talks with all stakeholders on the question of national unity, the current political atmosphere obtaining in Guyana at this time, is not conducive to engaging the APNU+AFC on such a highly politically sensitive matter,” Rohee stated.
He made it clear that the responsibility rests with government to end its campaign of vilification, stigmatizing and labelling of PPP leaders as “thieves”, and as “corrupt”; since only then will the Party participate in national unity talks.
“The coalition administration must end its campaign of witch-hunting and racial, economic and political discrimination against the PPP and its supporters. Further, it must come clean with unaccounted government spending. After all, why would a “clean and lily white” APNU+AFC want to engage with a “corrupt and thieving PPP/C” unless the objective is self-serving and meaningless!” he declared.
In the same breath, Rohee announced that the PPP/C will be advocating for the scrapping of the Social Cohesion Ministry, which was established with responsibility to promote unity among Guyanese.
According to Rohee, the Party is of the view that the Ministry’s genuine role is to act as a smokescreen to promote racial and political discrimination in favour of the APNU/AFC coalition.
“The Party will continue to monitor these developments and to offer support where necessary, and whenever called upon by representative religious bodies to ensure that unity prevails and that the APNU+AFC’s so-called Ministry of Social Cohesion does not succeed in its divisive manipulative, deceitful and bribe-sharing efforts to divide Guyanese socially, politically along religious lines ostensibly for electoral purposes,” Rohee said.
Rohee defends Rohee recently came in for harsh criticisms for allegedly promoting ethnic division in Guyana by asking the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) to reveal the ethnic composition its staff.
