THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has not denied or accepted that former President Bharrat Jagdeo will be Opposition Leader and they are still undecided when they will be attending the 11th Parliament. During the Party’s weekly press conference, General Secretary, Clement Rohee explained that the PPP/C’s Regional List was electronically submitted and a hard copy was also filed with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday.
“We have identified all 32 candidates for the National Assembly,” Rohee stated but we are still unsure as to when the PPP/C will take up the Opposition seats in Parliament. During his explanation Rohee said that over the weekend GECOM had ‘rejected’ their list of regional candidates after ‘guardian staff’ said that no senior person was around to accept the document. He added that “we have been able to submit the list electronically.”
Responding to questions from the media, Rohee acknowledged the statements he made during an interview with a Guyana Times reporter when he stated that former President Bharrat Jagdeo will be leader of the Opposition and it was left up to him to accept the position. “I could confirm that I did give the interview, I could confirm that I gave the interview to a Guyana Times correspondent and I could confirm that what was in the Guyana Times is what I said.”
When pressed for an answer if he was aware that someone with a conviction cannot enter parliament, Rohee left the question unanswered as it relates to Jagdeo’s ability to enter Parliament. Former President Jagdeo recently appeared in the Whim Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Charlyn Artiga on a charge of making racially divisive statements in contravention of section 139D of The Representation of the People Act, Cap 1:02 and was sent off on his own recognisance. Jagdeo was widely condemned for these statements in which he used a pejorative term to describe Indo-Guyanese and stated that this was how another section of the populace referred to them, but he gained full support from the former ruling party for these statements.
The charge carries a punishment of some three years imprisonment along with a fine. Rohee answered, “Why don’t you publish that and let it be contested in the public?”
Meanwhile, the General Secretary refused to give the media a ‘mere glimpse’ into the names expected to sit in Parliament. He noted that the ‘total package’ is expected when the party goes to Parliament, including, “the Deputy Speaker… if it comes to that.”
It was noted that PPP/C Prime Ministerial candidate, newcomer Elizabeth Harper was also among the names being speculated for a senior role in Parliament but when questioned no definite answer was given by the General Secretary. He said during the press conference when questioned about her again that the “matter will also be revealed.”

By Rebecca Ganesh