The Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Wednesday committed to forming a government of national unity if none of the parties contesting the upcoming elections wins a clear majority to form a government. Responding to a question posed by a member of the audience at the Merundoi Incorporated Presidential Forum held at the Theatre Guild on November 15, both presidential hopefuls, Khemraj Ramjattan of the AFC and David Granger of APNU said a government of national unity is a must.
“We are now at December 2 and the scenario is as follows: the chairman of the Elections Commission has announced that no political party is a clear winner in the elections. The AFC is now in a position of kingmaker and has to join forces with one of the political parties to form a government. Those political parties are the APNU and the PPP/C. Would you make a decision to go with people from the PPP/C?” was the question.
Ramjattan in his response said should there be a deadlock and there is no clear-cut winner, he would endorse a government of national unity.
A visually impaired member of the audience poses a question to the AFC and APNU presidential candidates at the Merundoi Presidential Candidates Forum at the Theatre Guild Playhouse in Georgetown
“At this stage, we will not join up. What we will do is remain in opposition at this stage and whether my national executive makes a decision against that… we prefer to have, at that stage, if it is a three-way race, a government of national unity incorporating all three parties,” he said.
In his response, Granger said APNU has always had an open-door approach where all political parties and non-governmental organisations as well as civil society were entitled to join.
He said, “… we have said the door is open, the lights are on; we will welcome in our partnership any political party which shares our principles and we are committed to a government of national unity.” The APNU presidential hopeful stated that a government of national unity is one that welcomes parties “from every spectrum”.
“As far as the formation is concerned based on the number of the people in the National Assembly, we would welcome a partnership with the Alliance For Change, we would even welcome partnership with people from the PPP/ C,” Granger remarked.
Both Granger and Ramjattan stressed the need for the issue of race to be put on the back burner, as Guyanese must not vote based on race but based on policies and principles that each party brings to the table.
Asked how they will help to heal Guyana of the disease of racism, Granger said that “racism is deeply embedded” here and he believes the key to combating this is through education.
He opined that racism is based on myths, stories and legends that people tell their children over time. Granger stressed that there needs to be a reform of the education system to incorporate social and ethnic cohesion.
“We have to reform the education system to let young children know that they are equal. Amerindian children, African children, Indian children, all of them have the same make-up, the same rights though they may look different,” Granger declared.
He added that more leisure activities need to be established “allowing young people to mix and mingle… go to summer camps and be exposed to others”. Ramjattan agreed with Granger, noting that there needs to be “a curriculum that has an appreciation of all the diversity and ethnicity”. He noted that at a young age children must be taught to appreciate their peers. “It all has to do with families and the homes we come from,” said the AFC presidential hopeful. He also believes that citizens must desist from the racial profiling of their fellow countrymen.
The visually impaired were also given an opportunity to ask questions at the presidential forum. The candidates were asked by one visually impaired person what they would do to ensure that the differently able, along with the elderly, benefit from the development that will take place in the future should they win the elections.
Granger said APNU has proposed a package which is titled “social protection”. He said his party feels that senior citizens are entitled to a dignified pension after a life of service. “Our package of benefits would include reduction in the cost of medicine, increase in pension and waivers in some types of government fees, for example to travel on some forms of transportation free with the use of the senior citizen transportation card… we would like to see the pension level, which is now capable of buying one loaf of bread a day be increased…” The aim of his party is to give senior citizens a comfortable and dignified retirement.
He said he would also raise the age of retirement for those in the public sector, especially teachers.
Meanwhile, Ramjattan said his party intends to promote senior’s development by having social programmes: medical, free transportation, and doubling the pension of those entitled.
“We also see that training is vital so that they could live useful lives even at that age,” he stated.
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