AFC spreading disinformation to survive

− members of civil society

AFC Leader
Khemraj Ramjattan

More than a week after Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan publicly declared that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is trying to buyout three Opposition members, he is yet to produce the evidence.

The AFC needs the support of the coalition, dominated by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) to pass the No-Confidence Motion it brought against the Government a few months ago.

Members of the electorate and in political circles have since dismissed the claims as outlandish, an attempt by the small political party to throw dirt hoping that it will stick and simply relying on fabrication to remain relevant.

East Canje

“I feel that Mr Ramjattan is telling the nation that there are jellyfishes and invertebrates in his party who are willing to sell out because of personal upliftment on the spot, he needs to make it public, because we have already seen the main Opposition saying that they are not in for it….

“So Mr Ramjattan and his people need to deal with them because they are not reliable. They are deceivers and they are not men and women of their word,” a public servant from East Canje who gave his name only as Ram told Guyana Times in an invited comment.

The PPP/C has since denied the claim and requested that Ramjattan bring forth the evidence if he is telling the truth, but he responded by saying that it is the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Members of Parliament (MP) who the PPP is trying to buyout for $30 million each.

Less than credible

APNU Leader David Granger

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a teacher who hails from New Amsterdam said the assertion by the AFC Leader is less than credible and points to his credibility.

“Khemraj Ramjattan is a lawyer and he should know that if he is making an allegation then he must have proof. For one, he needs to name those who were offered the $30 million and secondly, he has to have those persons tell the public so. Mr Ramjattan has done neither so he should shut his mouth.”

APNU Leader David Granger has also denied the claim by Ramjattan, hinting that it may be manufactured, while contending that the coalition will vote solidly in support of the motion brought by the AFC.

Linden

Speaking to Guyana Times at her stall, Linden seamstress Yvonne Drakes said the claim does not seem to have merit, but noted that with money, anything is possible.

“I am not saying that it is true or lie but what I am saying is that people buy everything with money. I would not be in a position to say if it is lie or true. But at the end of the day nobody wants to come out of a comfortable position, I’m not saying that what one party is saying is lie or what the other is saying is true, but it is all politics,” she said.

Her fellow Lindener Gordon Arthur, a vendor outside the Mackenzie Arcade was more decisive, contending that the claim is the “usual political gimmicky”.

Gordon Arthur

“All that is political games. I think that it is something being used for political mileage. It is political football that is being played and we are not concerned with that,” he said, noting that the people of Linden will be pleased enough to have Local Government Elections.

“Linden is experiencing a lot of problems because we are not getting Local Government Elections. We can see that the town is not running the way it should be run.

“There is no figure that we can really go to when we have problems. Everybody doing their own thing, and we need to have that (Local Government Elections). There must be a structured system in the town,” he said.

Arthur added: “There’s no one really that you can go to if you need an issue to be addressed. We need so much in this town. Many times works are going on in the town and it is not up to standard. We must have a local administrator to run our affairs. We can’t wait on Central Government.”

Granger had issued an ultimatum to President Donald Ramotar, demanding that Local Government Elections be held on September 15 as it is an integral part of any democratic society.

President Ramotar had responded, contending that the content of the letter is contradictory; pointing out that it was the PPP/C that has fought to restore democracy, the values of which it still cherishes.

The call in the ultimatum letter issued by Granger happened about a month after the AFC file the No-Confidence Motion against the Government in Parliament.

Suspicious

Yvonne Drakes

The motion is set to be debated next month when Parliament resumes from recess. The Opposition holds a one-seat majority in the House and if the motion is passed, it will force the Donald Ramotar-led Government to resign and call fresh elections in three months.

But in light of the No-Confidence Motion filed by the AFC, Granger only a few weeks ago declared that the coalition wants Local Government Elections.

The call by Granger, though not new, to some appears to be suspicious and designed to leave the AFC high and dry on the no-confidence motion.

The assurance by Granger that the coalition will vote solidly in support of the motion could mean that all APNU members who are present in Parliament at the time will vote solidly in favour of it.

This aside, given its current status, the call for Local Government Elections by APNU seems to be an empty cry.

To go to Local Government polls will require significant amount of resources and APNU is said to be in a financial strait.

Given this position which has been acknowledged by some APNU members, the coalition would least want to expend its limited resources on Local Government Elections when General and Regional Elections would be just over a year away.

This is coupled with the fact that the major party in the coalition, the PNCR has also suffered a big dent to its image following its last congress.

From all indications, the internal mantra of APNU is talk Local Government Elections think Regional and General Elections.

Notwithstanding, members of the coalition are upset that Ramjattan, who will require APNU’s support to pass the No-Confidence Motion against the Government, is denigrating its MPs by saying that they can be purchased, which implies dishonesty.

The AFC has been accused before of using APNU as a footstool to gain political capital.

In 2012, it was reported that after Granger had in effect agreed to support the electricity tariff hike in Linden, the AFC went to the mining town, telling Lindeners that he had sold them out, forcing the Opposition Leader to backtrack on his position. Three died in the Linden protest against the hike.

Region 10 Councilor Maurice Butters in a terse comment to Guyana Times said he is not surprised by Ramjattan’s buyout claims.