Forging alliance against PPP/C proving much more difficult
- Luncheon
THE efforts of the two opposition political parties, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), to forge a relationship for a joint purpose against the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is proving much more difficult than they anticipated. Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon made this observation yesterday, at the first post-Cabinet media briefing for 2012, at Office of the President, where he noted the Administration’s “remorse” at the way in which the other two parties have been dealing with the Tripartite Initiative.
According to him, Cabinet has taken note of the media reports of the “travails” of the two parliamentary opposition parties, particularly their inability to agree on the selection of a Speaker of the National Assembly.
Luncheon said: “The Tripartite Initiative evolved a flurry of expectations of consummating energies that should be used productively…it was waylaid. My own impression is that APNU and AFC got together and thought it would have been rather simple to gang up on the governing party and to present us with, essentially, a fait accompli and to restore some ‘bilaterality’ in this engagement, government versus opposition.”
The HPS said the first hurdle that presented itself is the parties’ inability to come to consensus on the selection of the Speaker and that reinforces the perception that their politics is not based on reason.
“The apparent abandonment of consensus seeking embodied in the notions of the Tripartite Initiative does not augur well for the future. Other than a duel fist fight, there is nothing much left for them (APNU and AFC) to register their disagreements about,” he remarked.
Luncheon said, too, that most of the issues which were identified in the parties’ mutual submissions needed to be addressed in the context of the tripartite agreement. As such, he affirmed that the PPP/C has been respectful of the promise of the tripartite approach to mutual concerns.
He said: “We have not sought to cut a deal or to have some privileged agreement with either of the two parties. In the meanwhile, the Administration is moving apace to refine its position on those matters it identified and submitted to the other two parties, as it relates to the appointment of the panel to review VAT and the tax system in general.”
Luncheon said one of the issues which will be addressed at the tripartite level is the conclusion of the Local Government Reform, which has already been publicly identified in the PPP/C Manifesto 2012, to allow for Local Government Elections this year, in addition to the successful conclusion of the selection of the executives of the ten Administrative Regions.
As to the importance of these, Luncheon said: “Those conclusions would anticipate consensus building and thrust being exuded by the three parties, as they move to put executives in the three Regions, Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), where none enjoys an absolute majority.”
The Cabinet Secretary reiterated that the performance of the Tripartite Initiative and its expectations will be tested when the Tenth Parliament is convened, which, constitutionally, can be no later than January 28.
“Our expectation is, as we seek to re-engage in the New Year, definitely before the proclamation, to be issued by the President, to reconvene the Tenth Parliament is the promise that that expectation, that fulfillment is still out there and, at the level of the three parties, it is still something worth committing to. This is what we hope,” Luncheon said.
Excerpts from the Guyana Chronicle
- Luncheon
THE efforts of the two opposition political parties, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), to forge a relationship for a joint purpose against the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is proving much more difficult than they anticipated. Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon made this observation yesterday, at the first post-Cabinet media briefing for 2012, at Office of the President, where he noted the Administration’s “remorse” at the way in which the other two parties have been dealing with the Tripartite Initiative.
According to him, Cabinet has taken note of the media reports of the “travails” of the two parliamentary opposition parties, particularly their inability to agree on the selection of a Speaker of the National Assembly.
Luncheon said: “The Tripartite Initiative evolved a flurry of expectations of consummating energies that should be used productively…it was waylaid. My own impression is that APNU and AFC got together and thought it would have been rather simple to gang up on the governing party and to present us with, essentially, a fait accompli and to restore some ‘bilaterality’ in this engagement, government versus opposition.”
The HPS said the first hurdle that presented itself is the parties’ inability to come to consensus on the selection of the Speaker and that reinforces the perception that their politics is not based on reason.
“The apparent abandonment of consensus seeking embodied in the notions of the Tripartite Initiative does not augur well for the future. Other than a duel fist fight, there is nothing much left for them (APNU and AFC) to register their disagreements about,” he remarked.
Luncheon said, too, that most of the issues which were identified in the parties’ mutual submissions needed to be addressed in the context of the tripartite agreement. As such, he affirmed that the PPP/C has been respectful of the promise of the tripartite approach to mutual concerns.
He said: “We have not sought to cut a deal or to have some privileged agreement with either of the two parties. In the meanwhile, the Administration is moving apace to refine its position on those matters it identified and submitted to the other two parties, as it relates to the appointment of the panel to review VAT and the tax system in general.”
Luncheon said one of the issues which will be addressed at the tripartite level is the conclusion of the Local Government Reform, which has already been publicly identified in the PPP/C Manifesto 2012, to allow for Local Government Elections this year, in addition to the successful conclusion of the selection of the executives of the ten Administrative Regions.
As to the importance of these, Luncheon said: “Those conclusions would anticipate consensus building and thrust being exuded by the three parties, as they move to put executives in the three Regions, Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), where none enjoys an absolute majority.”
The Cabinet Secretary reiterated that the performance of the Tripartite Initiative and its expectations will be tested when the Tenth Parliament is convened, which, constitutionally, can be no later than January 28.
“Our expectation is, as we seek to re-engage in the New Year, definitely before the proclamation, to be issued by the President, to reconvene the Tenth Parliament is the promise that that expectation, that fulfillment is still out there and, at the level of the three parties, it is still something worth committing to. This is what we hope,” Luncheon said.
Excerpts from the Guyana Chronicle
