FORMER Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman, Ramesh Dookhoo is calling on the three political parties to conduct their elections campaign in a mature manner, focusing on issues that affect the people and not on personal attacks.Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday, Dookhoo, who serves as Secretary to the Commission, said that focusing on issues would be enough, pointing out that politicians must be fair in their presentations to the electorate.

He said the past two elections have indicated that Guyana has come a long way in terms of political maturity and the onus is on all the political leaders to ensure this continues.

Guyanese, he said, want peaceful elections, and for this to happen, every Guyanese must have his country at heart, and the winner, when announced by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), must be accepted and respected by all.

Irrespective of which party wins, he said the leaders of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) must work together to ensure peace and the continuation of social and economic development of Guyana.

The Amaila Falls Project, he said, is one of the key transformational projects that should come on stream during the tenure of the next Government, pointing out that electricity costs have been a major bugbear to the business community.

The project, which was voted down by the Opposition during the 10th Parliament, has been touted as an initiative that would result in the lowering of costs for electricity, thereby facilitating a take-off in the manufacturing sector, providing jobs for thousands.
According to Dookhoo, lessons should be learnt from past experiences, including the 10th Parliament, and on this point he emphasised that the way forward for the PPP, APNU and the AFC to break the political stalemate is finding a way to trust each other.

GREATER INCLUSIVITY
This, he said, is vital to take the country forward, as it will allow for greater inclusivity, which is important for good governance. However, he stressed that the political Opposition has to be responsible in its actions.

The former PSC Chairman also noted that the media have an important role to play in the maintenance of peace and stability by being responsible in their reporting on the elections.

MEDIA CODE OF CONDUCT
On this note, he called for the resuscitation of the Media Monitoring Unit and for all media houses to abide by the Media Code of Conduct that has already been developed, and used during the past two elections.

MEDIA ACCESS
Dookhoo also pointed out that it would be important for the State media to give some access to the Opposition, contending that it will in some way address the frequent complaints of unequal access by Opposition politicians and supporters.

The PSC will be applying for Observer Status for the May 11 elections. The Commission has served in this capacity at previous elections.
Meanwhile, the three major political parties contesting the elections have already hit the campaign trail, and their work will intensify as May 11 gets closer.
On Monday, PPP/C General Secretary, Clement Rohee said the various arms of the party have been mobilised as it seeks to regain a majority at the upcoming polls.
He also told reporters that the PPP is working to build and expand its alliance.
And on that point, he disclosed that the party has already met with a number of groups and individuals, but pointed out that there is no need to broadcast these meetings or “go on the roof and shout about them.”
The General Secretary reported that the feedback from these engagements has been positive and many of the ideas and suggestions will be incorporated into the party’s strategy for the future.
Both the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest partner in the coalition APNU, and the AFC, despite being locked in ‘secret talks’ for a coalition to challenge the PPP, have so far held several public meetings as they seek to rally their supporters for the upcoming polls.

(By Tajeram Mohabir)