THE Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will not be participating in the National Assembly on Thursday to debate the speech delivered by President David Granger two weeks ago at the commencement of the 11th Parliament.PPP/C General Secretary, Clement Rohee, told reporters yesterday that his party views the debate “as a charade by the GECOM (Guyana Elections Commission) engineered parliamentary majority to lend legitimacy to its creation and to help foster an ambience of cooperation in Parliament at a time when PPP/C leaders, members and supporters are under daily attack and made to suffer deprivation of their basic human, political and civil rights.”
Going back in time, Rohee said the PPP/C would be the first to concede that while it formed the Government between October 1992 and May 2015, debates on Presidential speeches inaugurating

Parliament “did take place in the National Assembly.”
He noted that this time however, “the debate would be taking place against the backdrop of a GECOM rigged elections and the composition of a Parliament which does not reflect the will of the Guyanese electorate.”
“In any event, a brief perusal of Granger’s speech slated for debate would show that it is full with platitudes and back-sliding on APNU+AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change) election campaign promises that makes the Cummingsburg Accord look like a tattered and useless document,” Rohee said.

PRESIDENT GRANGER’S SPEECH

President Granger, in his much anticipated address at the ceremonial opening of the 11th Parliament on June 10th, extended an outreached hand to all stakeholders in Guyana to put past differences aside to work together for the good of all the people of this beautiful country of ours.

The President reiterated his invitation to the Opposition PPP/C to take up their seats in the National Assembly.

“Let us put the hostility of the hustings behind us…Let us eschew the rancour of the campaign and the rhetoric of rivalry. Let us look to the future with hope, determined to do only what is best for the Guyanese people now and for generations to come,” the President said.

“Let us reinforce the foundation of our nation by working together for the common good. We are the National Assembly, not a political party rally,” he added in his call for peace and reconciliation and for consensual approaches to development.

“We shall, in pursuit of the common good, build bridges across chasms. We therefore renew our invitation to the People’s Progressive Party to join A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change in this honourable House to serve the people. Thousands of Guyanese, a month ago, believed that they elected us to craft a collaborative approach to confront the challenges facing our country.

“This is the time for collaboration, not confrontation. This is the place – the halls of the National Assembly, where we will conduct the great debate on Guyana’s future. This is the time for all Guyanese – from the hinterland to the coastland; from the Aruka to Achewib – to come together,” the President posited.

Rapprochement between Government and Opposition so that cordial relations could be established between the leaders of the land is in keeping with the expressed wishes of President Granger, who stressed the need for unity in joint initiatives to move the country forward so as to achieve the optimum possibilities for development in the nation and the upward mobility of the Guyanese people – individually and collectively.

To the members of his Government, he adjured: “Those of us who were elected have work to do. We have a responsibility to represent the people. We have an obligation to speak for them. We have a duty to serve their interests. They have put their trust in us. That is why we are here.”

The Head-of-State promised his commitment to be President of all the people as he explained, “When we last met, I was sitting among you as Leader of the Opposition. I lost my seat! I stand before you today, not merely as Leader of a Party, or of a partnership, or of a coalition, but of the entire nation. I am leader of an Administration that is committed to doing the greatest good for the greatest number of Guyanese.”