May 11 Elections…Opposition tells Ramotar bring it on

Jan 21, 2015 News

– Opposition

President Donald Ramotar has finally set a date for General Election and the political opposition—A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) —is ready to move into election with the expressed hope that Guyana will this time, see the back of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

APNU General Secretary, Joseph Harmon

On Monday, May 11, Guyanese will be voting, following an announcement yesterday afternoon by President Ramotar. The Head of State chose this route as he refused to face an AFC-sponsored No-Confidence Motion brought against his government. Ramotar had prorogued the Parliament on November 10, the very day the Motion was supposed to be debated.
The President subsequently refused to end the period of prorogation and said he would call elections early in the new year and dissolve the Parliament. However, even as the Election date has been set, Ramotar is still to dissolve the Parliament.
When contacted yesterday, AFC’s General Secretary David Patterson said that his party was extremely happy to know that the date for the General Election has been finally set. He said that the AFC has been preparing for this imminent date since last year and is certainly “ready to bring down the PPP Administration”.
“Let the games begin. Bring it on, Ramotar,” he added.
APNU’s General Secretary, Joseph Harmon expressed similar sentiments.

AFC General Secretary, David Patterson

Harmon said that APNU is most pleased that a date has been set and the President has “finally brought an end to the drama and suspicion which came with the uncertainty of not knowing the date for General Election”.
The Shadow Minister of Public Works asserted that he is also happy that Guyanese will get an early opportunity to go to the polls and elect a new government, one that is “guaranteed to bring an end to the unimaginable scales of corruption under the PPP regime’.
Harmon said that the electorate has probably received the best gift thus far from the Ramotar-led administration in the form of the date for elections.
The General Secretary also disclosed that in the coming weeks, APNU will be sharing with the nation, its programmes and policies for improving the development of the country and “recovering those resources which were unfairly distributed to PPP acolytes such as the radio licences”.
“We stand ready to take the country forward,” Harmon affirmed.
Asked about talks over the AFC’s pro-democracy alliance proposal in light of the date being announced, Harmon said that the discussions are moving apace and that statements from both parties on the way forward will be made soon.
He emphasized that “whatever action or decision is made by APNU, it is always done with the country’s best interest at heart”.