The PPP today said it had declined an invitation from the Office of the President to participate in tomorrow’s independence anniversary observances at Independence Arch, Brickdam.
It cited what it said was a series of “unsavoury, undemocratic” developments.
The PPP statement follows:
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to notify the General public that it is in receipt of an invitation letter from the 0ffice of the President at approximately 13:00hrs today, Monday, May 25th, 2015 inviting a representative from the PPP to lay a wreath in commemoration of the 49th Independence Anniversary of Guyana to be held at the Independence Arch, Brickdam Georgetown.
The Party fully considered the invitation and has decided that in light of a series of unsavoury, undemocratic and unpopular developments over the past week and today that it will not participate in the wreath-laying event.
On its assumption to office in 1992, the PPP brought back the observance of Independence to the status of a national event and the celebration of a national holiday. Since then the anniversary has been observed every year by the PPP/C administration and the people of Guyana at all ten administrative regions of the Republic.
It was the PNC regime that downgraded the anniversary to a non-event relegating it to virtual obscurity throughout the land.
The defacto Granger-led administration’s wreath laying event is therefore the mere re-branding of the event against the background of a number of undemocratic developments. For its part, the PPP will be observing the country’s independence anniversary on May 26th, at a grand public meeting to be held at Port Mourant, Corentyne.
The wreath laying event scheduled for tomorrow is being held in the backdrop of the following political motivated events:
1) the blatant rigging of the May11, 2015 General and Regional elections;
2) open racial and politically intimidatory threats against PPP/C candidates, members and supporters;
3) the charges laid against Former President and PPP Executive Committee Member, Bharrat Jagdeo.
4) the illegal physical rejection of Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba from her position at the Georgetown City Council.
In light of the foregoing the PPP has decided to decline the invitation.
