Parliamentary shift a ‘win/win’ for electorate-US Ambassador

Dec 03, 2011 News

 
The elections have led to a “Win/Win” change in the political life of Guyana. The results offer an

United States of America, Brent Hardt

opportunity for all parties to be constructively engaged because of the parliamentary shift, said Ambassador of the United States of America to Guyana, Brent Hardt.
His comments were made at a Private Sector Commission press conference yesterday.
Other diplomats who were present were Canadian High Commissioner David Devine, British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre, and European Union Resident Representative, Robert Kopecky.
“This is an historic election and I think all parties should seize this moment; it is an opportunity for all parties to be constructive.”
Urging Guyanese to respect the elections result and to unite and work for transparent democratic governance, the diplomatic envoys noted the opportunity provided by the new parliamentary landscape will benefit the electorate.
For the first time in this country’s Parliamentary history there is a minority parliament. The government, with 48.6 per cent of the votes controls 32 seats. The combined opposition controls 33 seats.
However, UK High Commissioner to Guyana, Andrew Ayre, said that yesterday when he appeared at an APNU March in the city,  he was not marching in support of the protest. Instead, he was having a private conversation with APNU’s Presidential candidate David Granger.
“We met with the leadership of the APNU in this room in the early stages of the campaign, and David Granger made a covenant with the private sector about peace and stability and security in our country.
“APNU campaigned and promised us stability and public security and we are holding him to that covenant,” Chairman of Government Security Committee sector of the Private Sector Commission, Gerry Gouveia.
Nevertheless, PSC chairman Ramesh Dookhoo said that due to the present atmosphere  “We’re losing a lot of money; businesses are closed, people are not going to work, some of the protestors, we got reports, they’re saying no work,  no school, no Donald and that kind of political rhetoric. This is going on in the streets.”