‘Stop saying my gov’t. is illegitimate’ – Pres. Ali tells Opposition MPs

Jul 01, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – President Mohamed Irfaan Ali ended up in a debate on Wednesday with members of the coalition opposition at the sidelines of a cocktail event, over his government not meeting with them to fix matters of national interests.

President Ali engaging members of the opposition at Wednesday night’s cocktail event commemorating 50 years of friendship between Guyana and China.

He reportedly told them that if they want to dialogue with his government, they must have respect. That, respect, according to Ali, is to stop saying that his government is illegitimate and accept that they had lost the March 2020 regional and General Elections.
The event was hosted at the Pegasus Suites, Kingston, Georgetown, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of China/Guyana bilateral relationship.
After the formalities were over, Ali decided to meet and greet everyone present at the event and ended up at the table of opposition invitees, Khemraj Ramjattan, Cathy Hughes and Geeta Chanda-Edmond.
They did not waste the opportunity to call him out for not engaging them on matters of national interest. Ali told them that he has no problem with engaging members of the opposition. He said that he had invited them to dialogue with him on many occasions but the opposition needs to acknowledge that there must be some respect at the engagements.
“You have to acknowledge that there has to be some respect and you can’t be out there shouting that this government is illegitimate and this government is this and that”, Ali told the opposition Members of Parliament. Hughes then told him that the United States President, Joe Biden did not shun the Republicans, Biden after taking office had met with them to sort out matters of national interest despite there were election disagreements in America. Ali however responded with a question, “Did he engage Trump? (Former American President, Donald Trump)”.
Hughes responded, “But he did, he engaged the Republicans and also the Democrats”. The appointment of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and Judicial Service Commission along with other important appointments was delayed for over two years all because the government and the opposition could not come to a mutual agreement to engage each other.