THE governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) last evening issued a statement in which it deems as “utter rubbish”, the so-called “public revelation” by Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, that the PPP/C is attempting to “buy off” three Parliamentarians at $30M each to vote against the ‘no confidence’ motion.
The PPP said this startling “disclosure” is tantamount to a smear campaign and follows “a long line of baseless and delusional utterances emanating from the mouth of Ramjattan which forces the PPP to seriously question Ramjattan’s mental stability”.
The party said it notes with relief that based upon recent disclosures, Ramjattan will not be vying for either the Presidential candidate or Prime Ministerial position for his party and therefore the people of Guyana will not be burdened with a person in such a mental state.
The PPP said, too, that it rejects this outrageous allegation and challenges Mr. Ramjattan to forthwith disclose, publicly, the names of the three Parliamentarians to which he makes reference and to further make a full and frank public disclosure of all or any information which he claims he has received in relation to this matter.
In addition, the PPP expects Ramjattan to lodge a report with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) forthwith, furnishing the Police with the information he has received with a request to immediately commence an investigation since his allegations border on criminality.
“From all appearances, the AFC appears to be in stiff competition with the APNU in a race to the bottom aimed at grabbing media headlines, thus the reckless statements and challenges emanating within recent times from both Parties,” the PPP stated.
The ruling party alluded to the fact that it has a well-established track record spanning over six decades of defending and struggling for Electoral, Parliamentary and Constitutional democracy and the rule of law. Our democratic credentials is not only recognised nationally and internationally but can withstand scrutiny from any quarter. The party of Cheddi Jagan will never do anything to undermine the democratic rights and constitutional freedoms of our people.
The PPP holds firmly to the view that within recent times, the AFC has become unpredictably desperate and is obviously prepared to adopt senseless postures and make irrational statements in their quest to exaggerate their importance and standing. Moses Nagamootoo’s statement about “political diarrhoea” must therefore be situated in that context.
In any event, the AFC must be advised that such statements and postures will get them nowhere save to have them end up with a petard in their hands.
During an afternoon press briefing by the Alliance For Change at the Georgetown Club yesterday, AFC’s Ramjattan declared: “We have gotten reliable information that the PPP’s answer to the No-Confidence motion… is to buy off three Parliamentarians at $30M each to vote No rather than Yes.”
Asked whether he could speak on behalf of his own party members accepting such an offer, the AFC leader responded in the negative, saying that, “the AFC 7 is going to hold true to that position [of a No Confidence Motion] and, I am absolutely certain that they will.”
He further expressed that he is not of the authority to speak on behalf of the 26 seats in the National Assembly occupied by the main Opposition party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
He did say however that he is “absolutely certain” that the APNU MPs “are going to hold true”, but a cautious Ramjattan urged for “Parliamentarians to be honest with themselves and to be honest with their consciences and to be honest with the people of Guyana.”
The AFC, in early August, delivered to Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, a motion of No Confidence against the Guyana Government which is to be debated by the National Assembly in October.
