The University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) says that the PPP/C’s presidential candidate Donald Ramotar has declined to participate in a presidential debate the union was organising involving the candidates of the three major parties contesting the elections.
“The UGWU is in receipt of a letter from Mr Robert Persaud on the Ministry of Agriculture letterhead, informing the union that Mr Donald Ramotar has declined an invitation from the union to officially debate presidential candidates David Granger and Khemraj Ramjattan at the Turkeyen campus,” the union said in a release. Granger and Ramjattan accepted the invitation, the union said.
The PPP, late yesterday afternoon, released to the media Persaud’s response to the UGWU, which was carried on the party’s letter head.
According to the UGWU, Persaud said Ramotar prefers to participate in a similar event that is being organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences. The UGWU, however, said that the event being organized by that faculty is not a debate.
“The union can confirm with 100 per cent accuracy that the faculty is not planning such a debate and has not been in communication with Mr Ramotar over such an event. Mr Ramotar has been contacted by an individual lecturer within that faculty to speak to his class,” the UGWU said.
Persaud in his letter said that the “PPP/C presidential candidate had previously committed to a similar engagement at the University of Guyana which is being organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences.” Ramotar, Persaud said, “remains committed to that first invitation for a debate before the university community and would be unable to participate in the UGWU’s exercise.”
