PPP flays gov’t for using President’s illness as `political football’
The opposition People’s Progressive Party has criticised leaders of the governing APNU+AFC for using the illness of President David Granger as grounds for attacking a motion of no-confidence scheduled to be debated tomorrow.
A statement from the PPP follows:
The Coalition Government’s propaganda machinery has been churning out one wild and baseless allegation after another, regarding the No-Confidence Motion since it was filed in the National Assembly, nearly a month ago. The pace has progressively increased with each passing day. It will be recalled that the No- Confidence Motion was only sent to the National Assembly by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) after the Government had announced that the President was in good health and that he was in Cuba merely for “medical investigations”.
After the Motion was filed, the Coalition Government then, opportunistically, invoked the President’s unfortunate medical condition, accusing the PPP of filing the No-Confidence Motion to exploit the illness of the President. This is farthest from the truth and we, immediately, issued a statement not only debunking this lie, but also pointing out that the President has no vote in the National Assembly and, therefore, his presence or absence in the country is absolutely immaterial to the Motion. It was also made very clear in that statement that the No-Confidence Motion was only filed after the Government assured the nation that the President was in good health.
Recently, both Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, and leader of the AFC, Raphael Trotman, have once again invoked the President’s medical condition in their propagandistic outpourings.
Additionally, in a statement, the AFC has resorted to delusion by referring to “rumours of a diabolical plot by the PPP and moves to disrupt the House when the vote on the No-Confidence Motion fails.” This is not merely being delusional, but it is flagrant mischief because the nation is aware that it is the APNU/AFC who have called out persons “in the thousands” to Parliament, to show their “confidence in the Government”. Were the PPP as irresponsible and reckless as they are, we could have reciprocated. However, we have not, in recognition of the horrible
consequences which can result. This is the type of unadulterated stupidity which disqualifies this grouping of persons from ever holding Government again.
When this Motion was tabled a month ago, the PPP requested that the Motion be debated earliest, more specifically, even before the reading of the National Budget. This request was rejected. The Government fixed the Motion to be debated on the 21st of December. Recently, the Leader of the Opposition expressed a willingness to have the Motion debated after the Christmas season and in early January. The Leader of the Opposition, having no control over and having not participated in the Motion being fixed for debate on the 21st of December, made this suggestion out of concern for the disruption it may have on the lives of the ordinary Guyanese and the business community during the festive season.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo, in his usual thoughtless way and seeing an opening to exhibit egotistical bravado and arrogant brinkmanship, flatly rejected the
suggestion and clumsily challenges the PPP to “bring it on”.
After public pressure is rising for a postponement of the Motion, like a political chameleon, Nagamootoo then issues a call to the PPP to withdraw the Motion, once again, insensitively and callously exploiting the President’s illness as one of the basis of his call. His leader, Raphael Trotman, has now joined him, again using the President’s illness as his political football, by contending that the No- Confidence Motion is a “cowardly attack” on the President’s medical condition.
The PPP deeply regrets that the President’s unfortunate illness has become the subject of such juvenile political machinations by his own Government and we continue to wish him well and a speedy recovery. While the PPP remains ready, able and willing to debate the No-Confidence Motion at any time, it does not enjoy the power of postponing it.
The PPP wishes to restate that the reasons for the No-Confidence Motion are as follows:
1. 30,000 jobs have been lost and there are no prospects for major job creation!
2. Economic growth rates have tanked!
3. Nearly $200 billion racked up in new debt!
4. Rapid depletion of Guyana’s gold and other reserves!
5. Billions in wasteful spending!
6. No support for our productive sectors, including mining, rice and gold, as well as sugar, and others!
7. Withdrawal of water subsidies to pensioners, the cash grant to our school children and one month tax-free bonus for ranks in the Disciplined Services!
8. Over 200 new tax measures in 2017 alone!
9. $60B more per year taken from the pockets of Guyanese people in taxes! 10.VAT on water and electricity, food items, medical supplies and services,
etc!
11. Increased cost of living!
12. Increased crime rates with hundreds of Guyanese losing property, limbs and lives!
13. Over 50 corruption scandals!
14. A constitutional body has pronounced on the corrupt actions of the APNU+AFC Coalition Cabinet!
15. Hundreds of breaches of Guyana’s financial laws exposed by the Auditor General!
16. Over $500M missing from D’Urban Park alone!
17. Almost daily violations of our Constitution!
18. Rule of law is being undermined
19. Guyana has been cited by an international report for “government corruption” in 2018!
20. The UN has placed Guyana in its ‘Shame List’!
21. National interests have been sold out with the incompetent/corrupt negotiation of contracts, including in the oil sector and more!
22. Guyana’s treasury has been exposed to billions in losses because of
secret tax settlements that benefit cronies!
23. Bewildering levels of incompetence demonstrated by the APNU+AFC Coalition!
24. Almost all of the 2015 manifesto promises broken!
Rather than continuing to spew senseless lies and half-truths, the Coalition Government should attempt to answer the real issues, which we have outlined above and which have inspired the No-Confidence Motion.
People’s Progressive Party December 20th 2018
