Government inciting physical violence against opposition – Harmon
A misuse of state funds to launch an attack on its own citizens by inciting violence, were the words used to describe the fact that Office of the President, has been funding full page advertisements in the daily newspapers calling on Guyanese to “Let us stop the opposition from destroying Guyana now.”
APNU’s Joseph Harmon
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Joseph Harmon, yesterday said that it has been brought to the attention of the Opposition that it is in fact Office of the President that is funding the campaign against them. The advertisement calls on citizens to “stop the opposition from holding Guyana at ransom! Stop the opposition from protecting money launderers, criminals, and terrorists.” According to Harmon, the amendments to the Bill have not even been voted on as yet and the Opposition Leader, David Granger, has already signaled to the President that support for the Bill is conditional, in that he would have to support the Opposition Bills already approved. Harmon said that for the Office of the President to call on citizens to stop the Opposition not by the ballot; can only mean a provocation of violence. He said that Opposition members are now insecure. “They are inciting violence against the Opposition; this is a clear provocation.” According to Harmon, the statements being paid for using state funds to attack the opposition are akin to calling on the army to go and attack citizens. Harmon said that this act by Office of the President must be condemned by all right thinking Guyanese. It might also be condemned internationally. “State funds are being used to attack its own citizens…Government is inciting a certain level of violence” The advertisement seeks to denigrate the Opposition, according to Harmon, and seeks to insinuate that the Opposition is supportive of money launderers and drug lords. He suggested that it is those in government who have a vested interest in supporting drug lords and money launderers and pointed to the extravagant lifestyles, mansions being built and vehicles owned by people way above their pay grade. He said that when the Opposition reacts to such provocations they are deemed to be terrorists when it is in fact the Government which is using terrorist tactics by the state calling for attacks on its own citizens. Harmon posited that the posture by the Government is reminiscent of the Stalinist era. The advertisement suggests that the Opposition has refused to pass the amendments to the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill “although these amendments are recognised globally as the global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards.” The advert suggests that “the Opposition has not been attending meetings to discuss and flesh out the issues they are concerned about so that the amendments could be passed within the time frame.” It says, too, that the Opposition is using all forms of delaying tactics to ensure that these amendments are not passed within the extended time frame so that Guyana would have to face the devastating implications. “What are they trying so desperately to hide…why are they+ afraid to deliberate on these amendments in the view of the public,” questioned Office of the President through the paid advertisement.