THE combined Opposition’s claims that the ruling party is engaging in “race baiting” to regain support among the Guyanese electorate are nothing but “red herrings”, according to General-Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee.

“I don’t know what Mr. Granger is speaking about. I believe this is just a red herring for them (A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change) to hold onto,” he said yesterday during the party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street.
The PPP General-Secretary questioned the combined Opposition’s justification for their claims, which he termed scurrilous.

PPP FUNDING SECURE
Asked about the party’s financing capacity, Rohee made it clear that the PPP has always been able to secure funding for its activities.
“We have always been able to carry out our campaign successfully…the PPP uses its own resources,” he stressed.
The General-Secretary also fielded questions about the allegations that the ruling party has accessed state funds for its activities, an allegation he trashed.
He challenged that if there is evidence of such, it should be made public as justification.
The three political parties are expected to intensity their campaigning, given President Donald Ramotar’s announcement of the move to general elections in face of the current political impasse.

NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE
The Head of State was clear that a date for the early return to the polls will be announced long before the Mashramani celebrations, possibly as early as in his New Year’s Message to the nation, and he reasoned that this way, Guyanese people’s Christmas holidays, less than three weeks away, will not be disrupted.
“I have considered and I have consulted; and this is my resolve. We will go to elections. I have also since written to the international community, alerting them to the possibility of early elections, and the desire for them to field observer missions,” he said on Saturday during a press conference.

COST OF TALKS
Prior to the Head of State’s announcement political pundits wondered at the wisdom of these Opposition political parties insisting on going to the polls rather than talk, given that they have both acknowledged challenges with financing, and that going to elections would cost the Government a pretty penny.
The estimated cost of holding any elections at this time is as much as $1.6B, which constitutes an expense that would be charged against hardworking Guyanese taxpayers.
The sum at reference is part of a $3.3B allocated to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in this year’s Budget. In the event that it has to prepare to hold either general or regional elections, the $1.6B is intended to allow GECOM to exercise general direction and supervision over the registration of electors and the administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly, the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and local authorities in Guyana.
On November 18, President Donald Ramotar wrote APNU Leader, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, as Leader of the main Opposition, inviting him to dialogue. After thumbing his nose on the President for almost three weeks, the APNU Leader acknowledged, in writing on Tuesday the receipt of the President’s invitation, but respectfully declined, saying that “APNU would be unprepared to participate in such a proposed dialogue for as long as the Parliament of Guyana remained prorogued.”
Prior to Granger’s letter, both APNU and the AFC had made it clear that they would not engage the President in talks unless the prorogation is lifted and parliamentary work resumes.
Since the President’s move to prorogue Parliament, there have been varying sentiments emanating from different sections of society, many being in support of the prorogation, which would facilitate dialogue in face of the current political impasse.
The President has always maintained that the need for dialogue was uppermost in his mind when he made his decision to prorogue Parliament. Paving the way for greater dialogue among political parties, he contends, would have kept the 10th Parliament alive to address critically important issues currently before the National Assembly.
The move to prorogue Parliament was made in face of an AFC-sponsored no-confidence motion against the Government. The effect of ending the first session of the 10th Parliament via prorogation is the termination of the business of the National Assembly. As a result, the AFC’s motion was not considered.
Also APNU had, prior to November 10, signalled its intent to support tabling of the motion. If Parliament had not prorogued and the no-confidence motion had been passed, Guyana would have been headed to early general elections within three months.
Given the President’s announcement Guyanese would be headed to the polls more than a year ahead of schedule, since the next elections were not expected until 2016.