The Opposition – People’s Progressive Party – last Saturday condemned President David Granger’s accusation that the Party is waging “civil war” in Guyana. In a strongly-worded statement, the Party said that it was drawn to the attention of the Leader of the Opposition that “de facto President, Mr David Granger, accused the Opposition of ‘waging civil war’ in the country. He was speaking on a radio programme”.
The statement said that the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, unreservedly rejects this allegation and condemns such language since it is as inflammatory as it is irresponsible. According to the Party, “it is obvious that the de facto President cannot speak to a track record of accomplishments by his Government, neither can he articulate his party’s developmental plan and vision for Guyana. As a result, he resorts to such inane assertions”.
It must take a special mind to perceive legitimate actions of an Opposition Party in the discharge of its constitutional duty to the citizenry, which is a norm in any democracy, as “waging civil war”, the Party said.
“Fortunately, we have a sensible and intelligent population who are very much aware of the political activism of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in the Parliament, in the Judiciary and on the streets of this country”.
According to the statement from the PPP, not a single violation of the law has ever been alleged against the PPP in relation to any of these political pursuits.
“In fact, they were largely intended to get the de facto President and his recalcitrant Government to obey the Constitution, to comply with democratic norms and practices and to uphold the rule of law in our country”. The Party said that having regard to his party’s political history, Granger should be the last person to accuse anyone of “waging civil war” in Guyana.
The PPP also called on the international community and the Ethnic Relations Commission to condemn this “irrational and incendiary utterance of Mr Granger”.
