The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday came out in the defence of President Donald Ramotar’s decision to prorogue Parliament, saying it will allow for continued dialogue between the political parties and will not usher in a dictatorship.
The party stated that prorogation “will provide the political space which is so necessary at this time for nurturing political maturity and continued dialogue with the opposition and the resumption of the Tenth Parliament.”
In a statement, the PPP denied that the prorogation timeframe will “usher in a dictatorship of any shape or fashion” as is being made out by the opposition.
It added, “Prorogation will preserve and sustain the life of the Tenth Parliament unlike dissolution which the parliamentary opposition is hell-bent on enforcing by way of their no-confidence motion which when inevitably passed will result in shutting down and ending the life of the 10th Parliament and denying the passage of important bills which would bring immense benefits to the people of Guyana.”
While the statement noted that the six-month prorogation period will allow for continued dialogue between the three parties, the PPP noted that APNU leader David Granger “publicly and proudly proclaimed that he has “washed his hands” of any further engagement with the PPP/C administration” on an agreement on a date for local government elections. As a result, it said by his own statement Granger effectively shut the door on political dialogue, which would be useful in times like these.
The statement noted that dialogue between the parties was the ultimate goal of the President’s decision.
Speaking to Stabroek News on Sunday, Granger had expressed skepticism about dialogue. “At this point… APNU has exhausted its options and opportunities for talks with the President,” he said, adding, “The President has not negotiated in good faith.”
He noted that Attorney General Anil Nandlall and his APNU Shadow Basil Williams had even met and agreed on a process by which bills passed by the opposition but rejected by Ramotar would return to the President for assent “but everything has now been stalled because of the President’s attitude to the talks.”
“It was the President who refused to meet any [of the] demands of the opposition,” Granger said.
The AFC last week warned that government could move to run the country as “an extra-parliamentary dictatorship,” by proroguing Parliament and delaying the run off of early general elections.
AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo stated that the government could have up to 10 months to do “what they want,” without parliamentary objection or input, before an election is run off.
