“I’m not averse to meeting main parliamentary Opposition” – President

Coming up on the one-year anniversary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government’s ascension into office, President Dr Irfaan Ali has affirmed that the Government remains committed as ever to inclusionary governance.

He made this comment during a virtual address to Town Hall Forum on Friday, organised by the International Center for Democracy (ICD), in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York. According to the President, the Government has in fact been implementing such an inclusionary system over the past 10 months.

“I also affirm the promise to institute a system of inclusionary governance. Over the past 10 months we’ve been implementing that system. My government will strengthen inclusion at three levels. At the level of the National Assembly, the political level and the level of Government,” he said.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

“The adversarial character of the National Assembly does not preclude compromise or consensus. The two sides of our National Assembly may not always agree, but can seek a common understanding including through the utilisation of parliamentary mechanisms such as the select committees.”

President Ali also addressed the current impasse between his party and the main Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC). Ali noted that while he is not averse to engaging APNU/AFC, the coalition party continues to show disdain for the will of the people who elected the PPP to Government with 233,336 total votes last year.

“At the political level I’ve held meetings with other political parties, including non-parliamentary parties. I’m not averse to meeting the main parliamentary Opposition. However, its designation of my government as illegitimate presents practical obstacles to any such engagement.”

Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon

“The parliamentary Opposition must understand, they have to respect and honour the will of the people. And in respecting and honouring the will of the people, they have to respect the Government of the day that was elected by the people of the country,” President Ali said.

Meanwhile, the President mentioned the Government as the third level of inclusion. This has so far involved the PPP Government bringing in members of civil society and other organisations to lend their expertise to national development.

“We have already begun to involve in the management of our country, persons who we feel have the expertise required and who are committed to the national interest. I’ve also met with social and religious organisations, trade unions and the Private Sector. I will continue to meet with them, to benefit from their insights and learn more from their concerns,” President Ali added.

Working together

Only recently, United States Congressmen Albio Sires and Hank Johnson had called for the PPP/C Government to ensure that every Guyanese citizen benefits from the nation’s wealth, particularly that from the oil and gas sector.

The APNU/AFC has been complaining about the lack of dialogue with the PPP Government on key areas of interest, but at the same time have been labelling the Ali-led Administration as “installed”. Both Johnson and Sires had urged the two sides to work together.

In response, Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira had related that the Government is working in the interest of all Guyanese. She said that the PPP/C’s elections manifesto outlines the plans for the development of Guyana and that the programmes implemented since taking office have been focusing on ensuring that every Guyanese benefits.

Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira

Teixeira reminded that Article 13 of the Constitution talks about parliamentary democracy and participatory democracy, adding that her government believes in that. However, she said that in order for the Opposition to get a seat at the table they must first recognise the legitimacy of the PPP/C Government.

“We look forward to the APNU/AFC taking a mature political position of recognising the PPP/C as the legitimate Government of our country and then the opportunities for dialogue and a number of issues become opened. So, we wish to assure friends in the United States that we are committed,” she had said.