…Nagamootoo rips Jagdeo for politically insensitive motion
…says move is to stir the fever of divisiveness
PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has dismissed the no confidence motion filed by the opposition as politically insensitive given President David Granger’s state of health; and he says the motive is to stir up the “fever of divisiveness” in the country.
At a news conference on Friday hosted by the coalition at Congress Place, Sophia, Nagamootoo stated that the move by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Leader is “childish” and ill-motivated.
“It is very insensitive, the timing of a motion of no-confidence in government at a time when the sitting President is out of the country receiving medical attention. It is insensitive!”
“Where is the Guyanese compassion? Where is the Guyanese attitude of caring, of showing concern?” the prime minister asked, adding: “So I believe that it was a politically insensitive and childish move.”
The prime minister also criticised the comments made by Jagdeo at his most recent press conference where he posited that whether the PPP wins the motion or not, the country will benefit as the opposition will be able to point out the coalition’s wrongdoings.
These remarks, Nagamootoo believes, are proof that the opposition leader is ill-motivated in the tabling of the motion.
“It [the motion] has other motivations to breathe disaffection in the country to be able to stir the fever of divisiveness that the PPP invested in the communities because I know, I come from Berbice, [and] the level of ethnic division and hate…that they have sown in that community, they have to now find a ‘fig leaf’ to cover their shame of what they did during the campaign. So, they want to show that they have a moral obligation out of these elections —that there was some sort of a referendum in the Local Government Elections—so that they can move to say ipso facto the government should resign,” Nagamootoo said.
He then added: “This is not Donald Ramotar, this is Granger and Nagamootoo. They will be no surrender.”
The prime minister also added that the Speaker of the National Assembly holds the ultimate decision on whether the motion is admissible, especially at a time when the House is moving towards consideration of the budget estimates. “It has to be examined in the face of that. What is the political work of this no-confidence motion,”? he queried. Similarly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister (ag) Carl Greenidge referred to the no-confidence motion as “opportunistic” and one which seeks to take advantage of the President’s absence.
“It is trying to take advantage of what is a situation that I think, in normal circumstances, would be regarded as distasteful. You take advantage of apparently somebody’s challenges and misfortunes to try and create political capital,” the acting prime minister said.
He further rebutted the claims of the opposition that the motion was made in the interest of the nation, stating: “Mr. Jagdeo has claimed that it is in the national interest when it is for the nation to make that decision; and it cannot be in the national interest to, knowingly, lay before the house a motion which simply seeks to take an opportunity to sow division within the nation.”
“We are, at this point in time, looking at the national budget, a very important budget; it is the last budget before the elections of 2020 [it is] important to all of us for the things it needs to address and here is an attempt by the leader of the opposition arguing that it is in the national interest.”
