AGAINST the backdrop of a challenge issued by former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to any member of the Opposition to engage him in a public debate on policies, Leader of the Opposition Brigadier (rtd.) David Granger yesterday dodged a direct answer to the question on whether he or any member of his party would willingly engage the former president in the public domain. Taking the spotlight after three years, Jagdeo on Tuesday last at a press conference held at Freedom House, issued the call to the “big wigs” of the Opposition to publicly debate him on their party’s policies which he deemed “inconsistent.”

The former President also sought to remind the Opposition, whom he said has stymied development in Guyana, that Head of State Donald Ramotar has already made it clear that he is ready to have a public debate with Opposition Leader, David Granger.
Continuing along a similar path to that of the current President, Jagdeo then made his call that, “I will debate any one of them, [David] Granger, [Khemraj] Ramjattan, [Raphael] Trotman, [Carl] Greenidge, anyone of them.”
In fact, the former President said as long as he is assured of equal time, he is prepared to have a public debate with all of them, at once.
Faced with the question of whether Jagdeo’s challenge has been considered by the Opposition, Granger at his weekly press conference held yesterday at the Opposition Leader’s office refused to give a direct answer to the question.
Granger, who is also presidential candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, instead responded, “A has-been?”, hinting that the former president may have outlived his significance.
Questioned again on whether his response should be taken as a “no” to the Jagdeo challenge, Granger responded in an evasive manner, saying “that should answer the question.”