HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday that, to accuse President Donald Ramotar of using the term “terrorist” to describe members of the Opposition or their actions is a “gross error.” Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, at Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, in Georgetown, Luncheon said the Head of State has since denied making any “terrorist” statement.
But the Opposition has still called on Mr. Ramotar to withdraw the assertion.
Luncheon noted that during his pre-recorded television address to the nation, the President did not use the word ‘terrorism’.
However, in his transcript, which was sent out by the Government Information Agency (GINA), the headline of the President’s speech stated, “Opposition July 18th defeat of Amaila Bill and Motion     – An act of terrorism against the development of Guyana”.
Though the transcript that was sent to media houses by GINA contained the term “terrorism” in the headline, Luncheon acquiesced that errors were made but just not by the President.
Consequently, the HPS said there is no need for the Ramotar apology.
“I cannot believe…the content of the President’s address to the nation could be so misunderstood, misread,” Luncheon stated.

FURTHER CLARITY
He urged that the transcript of the President’s speech be consulted for further clarity.
Opposition members of a key parliamentary Special Select Committee on anti-money laundering legislation staged a recent walkout after taking offence at the President’s remarks.
However, Luncheon recalled, yesterday, that this was not their first walkout; they having previously done so when President Ramotar failed to honour a recommendation, by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) to share the contents of its letter with the Leader of the Opposition.
In that instance, the HPS said the President had acted appropriately and offered his apologies for not providing a copy of the document to them.
“I can’t see CFATF instructing our President to do anything. A recommendation was actually the height of ridiculousness but the President, still, with the greatest of magnanimity, offered Mr. Granger an apology.
“Well, if that was the height of magnanimity, I don’t know to what extent we want the President go now,” Luncheon maintained.
Meanwhile, the combined parliamentary Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) voted against the Guarantee of Loans (Public Corporations and Companies) Act and the Hydro-Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2013 after Government took the stance that they had sought to undermine its agenda by rearranging the order sequence of the Parliament Sitting, bringing forward four local government reform bills.
    
GREATER SURETY
The Guarantee of Loans (Public Corporations and Companies) Act would have allowed the Government to secure greater surety on the project while the Hydro-Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2013 is seeking to establish a protected area for biodiversity conservation.
“Government made it clear that support for the bill was a pre-condition to complete due diligence by the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank). The legislative amendment was expected to be completed by the end of July,” President Ramotar said in an address to the nation.
“Despite no serous objections by the Opposition in any of these fora, the joint Opposition still voted against the bills. More troubling is that they fully understand the negative ramifications for Guyana’s development. The Opposition continued to hold the project hostage to other demands by voting down Amaila,” the President lamented.