The two Major political parties contesting Monday’s general and regional elections – the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic and the A Partnership For National Unity – are calling for peace.
PPP/C presidential candidate Donald Ramotar
In a statement issued on Wednesday, APNU’s presidential candidate David Granger denounced any form of incitement and violence, and urged his members, supporters, friends, and the general public to work towards the peaceful conduct of general and regional elections on Monday.
Granger said APNU, together with other contesting parties, freely signed the Code of Conduct for Political Parties Contesting the 2011 General and Regional Elections drafted by the Guyana Elections Commission on Friday, November 11. He said the code of conduct committed all signatories to peaceful and respectful conduct during the election campaign.
The code specifically forbade: “the use of abusive, slanderous, or threatening language, or language which could incite people of one group to violence against any candidate, agent, member and supporter of any other group.” “APNU’s supporters are asked, therefore, for the sake of peace, to ignore the abusive slanderous statements… which are in breach of the code of conduct,” Granger said.
“APNU also calls on its supporters not to be drawn into physical confrontations.
“APNU calls on the Guyana Elections Commission to remain vigilant to ensure that signatories to the code of conduct do not commit further breaches. We call, also, on members of the Guyana Police Force to continue to act in a professional manner to prevent breaches of the peace and to bring persons who commit crimes to justice during the election campaign,” Granger said.
Meanwhile, the PPP/C said it has been deeply perturbed by, and has brought to the attention of the foreign observers, “the pernicious attempts by the opposition parties to stoke the fires of divisions within our society.”
According to the PPP/C, the opposition parties and groups associated with them, have both overtly and subliminally pandered to race and attempted to exploit racial and ethnic sensitivities at these elections. “We have received copies of publications and even reviewed statements being made on the platform and elsewhere, which do not aid the cause of national unity.”
The party said it believed the insidious appeals by these parties can incite irreparable divisions, excite racial prejudice, undermine the peace and security that is necessary for the exercise of the will of the people, and more importantly, can become the pretext for post-elections disruptions.
The PPP/ C said while it remains confident that the Guyanese people will reject such attempts to divide them and forget strife within their midst, “we feel that it is of sufficient importance to bring to the attention of all observers and various stakeholders.” The party said that its presidential candidate, Donald Ramotar, has already met with several of the international observer missions, during which he relayed similar sentiments.
“Once again, the PPP/C urges all to desist from any messages and actions aimed at creating division and animosity in our society. Unity and harmony must prevail,” the party declared.
The PPP/ C also welcomed the various observer missions, noting that it was pleased that they had accepted the invitation of the government to scrutinise and pronounce on the freeness and fairness of the elections.
“Their presence here will aid in assuring the integrity of the electoral process, and their certification of the polls will allow for a greater measure of confidence in the eventual outcome.”
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