Ruling party condemns Stabroek News and others for their criticisms of APNU, government dialogue

The ruling People's Progressive Party yesterday issued a press statement in which it was forced to condemn  several opposition aligned outlets, including the Stabroek News, over their deriding of any attempts by any opposition party in reaching an understanding with the government whilst preaching the need for cooperation among political parties.

The statement read as follows:


PPP Rejects agents of confrontational politics

The Peoples Progressive Party has consistently advocated the need for greater unity and cooperation amongst the political parties in Guyana.  We have never closed the doors on consensus politics in Guyana.  Even when we held a parliamentary majority, we remained open to engagements with the political opposition.  Through such engagements Guyana was able to craft the most inclusive constitution in the region.

This commitment to political consensus has not waned. In his address to the Tenth Parliament of Guyana, the President, His Excellency Donald Ramotar underscored the importance of all the parliamentary parties working together in the spirit of consensus and compromise to bring about development. Indeed one of the main objectives of the Donald Ramotar administration has been to work for greater political consensus and cooperation. 

The progress being made in this area however obviously does not enjoy the support of a vocal minority with a penchant for giving lip service to the need for political consensus but  who in practice adopts a Jekyll and Hyde attitude towards political cooperation. Amongst this vocal minority are sections of the media (re: Stabroek News editorial of April 23, 2012) which is fond of trumpeting political cooperation only when it involves agreement amongst the opposition parties and who revel in berating and deriding any attempts by any opposition party in reaching an understanding with the government. The ultimate objective of these critics is to support political cooperation only when it involves the opposition parties ganging up on the government.  

The Peoples Progressive Party will not be distracted by these pernicious elements whose main goal is political confrontation and who see any attempt by the opposition to engage with the government and as opportunity to invoke the language of “betrayal”, “sellout”, “secrecy” and “back room dealing”.  We will not be detoured from the goal of building political unity and in finding consensus to move our country forward towards prosperity and a better life. 

We call on patriotic Guyanese to reject these purveyors of division and to support the attempts that are being made by the government to achieve political consensus across political lines.

Further the PPP will not be held to ransom by any anti-national, anti-development demands which can reverse progress, cutting jobs and derail the rapid transformation of Guyana.