THE possibility of a move to early general and regional elections in Guyana is increasing, according to General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee.

“With how the winds are blowing, it looks like we are headed for another general election,” he said yesterday at the party’s weekly press conference held at Freedom House, Robb Street.
His comments follow Sunday’s disclosure by President Donald Ramotar that an announcement on the way forward, following the much-talked-about November 10 prorogation of Parliament, can be expected shortly. “I do not intend to recall the Parliament and prorogue it again. Very soon, I will be making an announcement on the way forward,” Mr. Ramotar said.
The PPP General Secretary acknowledged the President’s comments and told members of the media yesterday that on matters like these, Mr. Ramotar, a member of the Executive Committee of the Party, would share his perspective and engage other party members in discussions.
Rohee said, “It (the issue) would have certain political inputs from the party, but in the final analysis the take is with the Government.
“…on these matters Office of the President is better informed than we are at a political level. So on a matter like that we would be taking the cue, so to speak, from the Government on how they have opted to pursue an agenda on this matter.”

FEEL ON THE GROUND
He added that the “feel on the ground” is that there is a desire to move to an early general election.
“Our supporters on the ground are of the view that we should go to early general elections…all indications show that the preferred option is to go to general and regional elections,” the PPP General Secretary said.

FOCUS SHIFTED
Asked about local government elections, which President Donald Ramotar in early November announced will be held by the second quarter of 2015, Rohee said the focus seems to have shifted from local government elections to general elections.
Evidence of the focus being shifted, the PPP General Secretary said, is seen in the weekly protests mounted by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), ongoing for more than two months now. The protests initially were aimed at demanding that the Government set a date for Local Government Elections (LGE). However, APNU’s protests have taken on a new dimension, now including a call for early general elections.
Rohee was emphatic in stressing that despite the positions being taken by the Opposition, the PPP has not taken a “policy position” as it relates to a preference between local government and general elections.
The last general elections in Guyana were held in November 2011.