AGAINST the backdrop of a “two-sentence” rejection letter issued to President Donald Ramotar by Opposition Leader, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has posited that “the question on the minds of many Guyanese is what makes these politicians so stingy with their words when they spend hours at a time “cussing out” the President, the Ministers and the Government.”

Ramsammy’s remarks came subsequent to a two-sentence statement issued by the Opposition Leader, refusing to engage in any form of dialogue with the President on matters of national interest.
However, Granger’s position not to engage the President or Government in any form of dialogue had been expressed earlier, following the President’s decision to prorogue the10th Parliament on November 10.

“…both the AFC’s one-sentence, proposed no-confidence motion and the APNU’s two-sentence dialogue-rejection letter, demonstrate a level of arrogance and disrespect for the people of Guyana.” – Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

It is as a result of Granger’s unwavering decision not to engage the Government or President in any form of dialogue, that Dr. Ramsammy, in an interview with this publication said political leaders, even in the most distasteful and difficult circumstances must be able to put aside their disdain for each other and talk in the interest of the people and welfare of the nation.

Opposition, Brig. (Rt.) David Granger

He further stressed that this is a “self-evident truth” and a “non-negotiable pre-requisite” in any democracy, noting that even if political leaders must indulge in just one more chance for dialogue, their unwillingness to do so constitutes an “abdication” of their duties and obligation to the people, moreso, all the people of the country.
When President Ramotar declared that whatever position he might have had in earlier political discussions, Dr. Ramsammy said, he (the President) was willing to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. “He was displaying a statesman-like and mature position and was adhering to the demands of a political leader in a democratic state,” he said.

GRANGER’S LETTER
According to him, Granger’s letter to the President was all of two sentences in which he made it clear that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and its partners are not interested in any dialogue. This “two- sentence letter” issued to the President, he said, was generous in comparison to the “one-line No-Confidence Motion” proposed by the Alliance For Change (AFC) earlier in the year.
The question then, he assumes, that is in the minds of many Guyanese is, “What makes these politicians so stingy with their words when they spend hours at a time “cussing out” the President, the Ministers and the Government.”
To this extent, Dr. Ramsammy emphasised that “both the AFC’s one sentence proposed no-confidence motion and the APNU’s two-sentenced Dialogue Rejection letter, demonstrate a level of arrogance and disrespect for the people of Guyana.”
“Mr. Granger is the Leader of the Opposition. He is an important part of the democratic state. When he takes actions such as rejecting the President’s call for dialogue, he needs to give a clear explanation to the people why he rejects the call of the President for dialogue. He has a duty to clearly list his reasons. In this case, Mr. Granger cannot hide by demanding that the President revoke the prorogation proclamation. That is a demand, not an explanation,” Ramsammy related.
He further noted that in simply rejecting any possibility of dialogue and demanding the President ends the prorogation, Granger displays “total disrespect for the people of our country” and gives the most direct signal that all he, APNU and the entire Opposition want is “power.”

ENDING PARLIAMENTARY LIFE

Dr. Ramsammy also sought to reiterate President Ramotar’s explanation to the Guyanese populace that the No-Confidence Motion essentially ends the life of Parliament and that important, outstanding legislative actions of the National Assembly which were critical to national development would be left incomplete.
He explained that the President had listed the outstanding business, including the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Amendment Bill, the non-passage of which leaves Guyana at continued threat for international black-listing; and the Food Safety Bill which was to be introduced at the November 10th National Assembly Meeting. The President, he said, stated clearly to the Opposition and to the people that these outstanding matters should be completed as Government’s business prior to the No-Confidence Motion.
“The President clearly explained to the people that the Prorogation Proclamation was intended not to suffocate and kill parliamentary democracy, as the No-Confidence Motion would have done, but to give at least one more chance for dialogue between the parties and for the work of development to continue,” Dr. Ramsammy told this publication.
Citing Iran and the United States of America who are sworn enemies, the MP sought to highlight that every opportunity for dialogue between these two countries is being utilised.
However, as it relates to Guyana, he stressed that the Opposition has consistently either made dialogue “meaningless” by not being faithful to agreements or they simply dismiss any chance of dialogue.
Dr. Ramsammy further urged that even if the Opposition has good reasons to think that there would be no agreements out of any dialogue, they owe it to the people of Guyana to participate in such talks. “It is not an option; it is their sworn duty and obligation that they do not have the luxury of abrogation,” he said.
He noted that as the Leader of the Opposition, Granger has a responsibility to meet with the President to discuss national affairs and to serve in the national interest. This he contends, has nothing to do with “whether he likes the President or not, whether he trusts the President or not.” The very least he must do, Dr. Ramsammy said, is to meet for such talks and then if no agreement is reached to take the actions he feels compelled to do.
“The President of our country was faced with the possibility of the Parliament ditching important work in the national interest, because of the No-Confidence Motion which the AFC proposed and which APNU declared it would support and the public announcement by both parties that they would move for the No-Confidence motion to be the first order of business in the National Assembly,” Ramsammy said.
As a result, the President understood that the action of the Opposition, although unjust and clearly not in the interest of the nation, was within their constitutional rights. But the President also has constitutional rights, he said, one of which was to prorogue the Parliament.
“He did so giving clear reasons why and the priority reason was that we could all re-boot and start fresh discussions with clean slates. It was the stately and mature thing to do,” Dr. Ramsammy assured.
According to him, when the President made the proclamation for Prorogation, he (the President) was clear and addressed the reasons why he chose to prorogue the Parliament. He listed the many legislative actions that were in the national interest.
“As the Minister of Agriculture, my staff and I worked hard to draft the Food Safety Bill which has become necessary in order to allow Guyana to continue to expand Guyana’s agricultural export to North America, Europe, the Caribbean and other Regions of the world. With new laws and regulations in place in our exporting countries, Guyana needs to adopt new rules in food production. The threat of No-Confidence kills any chance of Guyana meeting trade requirements,” he explained.
It is to this extent that Dr Ramsammy believes that the Opposition Leader owes the nation the same obligation as the President.
He contends that Granger has a duty to give an explanation clearly and in writing. His refusal, he said, exposes his arrogance and is a clear dereliction of his national obligation. “Because of his past association and because he leads the PNCR, the party that led Guyana in a dictatorship for almost three decades, his behaviour is a sad and sinister reminder of the dictatorial genes that characterise Mr. Granger and his colleagues in the Opposition,” Dr Ramsammy said.
The Leader of the Opposition, he noted, has no right to disrespect the people of Guyana even if he personally values arrogance. The people will not forget such disrespect and arrogance and now that the election that they threatened is upon them, the people will have their say the MP said, while asserting that, “Mr. Granger and the Opposition will pay dearly for not only the disrespect they show to the people, but for abdicating their sworn responsibilities to serve the people of Guyana.

extracted from the Guyana Chronicle