Co-leader of the WPA, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine says the contradictions which have emerged will not derail the broad opposition coalition, but he believes that the focus must remain on the objective of the alliance, which is to take power after the next elections.
Some contradictions arise in political life, he said, noting that the extent of their political maturity is the extent to which they can deal with the difficulties when they arise and find solutions which are in the interest of the people. “This is why we are in it, we are in it for the citizens of this country and we have a duty to resolve them in their interest,” Roopnaraine told Stabroek News yesterday.
Roopnaraine firmly stated that he is in no position to say at this time how the presidential candidate for the Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP) is going to emerge given that discussions are ongoing. He was also firm on where the focus of the discussions should be. “The objective of the coalition is to win the next elections and any decision we make whether it is a decision about the presidential candidate or a decision about cabinet members or a prime ministerial candidate should be made based on the objective.”
PNCR presidential nominee Brigadier (retired) David Granger has plugged his readiness to lead the coalition saying members of the JOPP would need to outline the conditions, which could result in him surrendering the presidency of a broad coalition.
For his part, Roopnaraine opined that the more Granger comes to know the workings of the coalition and what is intended “a lot of his concerns would be dealt with”. But he also observed that it would be ridiculous for Granger to assume he would automatically be chosen to lead the coalition, and would be allowed to choose a running mate. “These decisions would be made collectively by the coalition of which he [Granger] will be a part,” Roopnaraine said.
“We are guided by what we were told and Mr Corbin has stated time and time again that the PNC is coming to the coalition talks with all options open and nothing is closed. He has said that he is not entering these discussion to insist that the PNCR presidential candidate should lead the coalition… we have not reached this point so unfortunately I am not in a position to answer Mr Granger’s concerns about the conditions which need to be outlined.”
The next step for the coalition involves looking at the terms of reference for a working group which would advance the programme of the coalition.
According to Roopnaraine, the terms of reference will set out certain mechanisms that the coalition would have to adopt. “We have not gone through those terms of reference that is before us on the agenda.”
He said too that the coalition has commenced discussions with non-party groups, noting the WPA’s conception of the coalition and Granger’s conception differ. “He seems to be of the impression that it is a coalition of political parties, we see the coalition as much wider than political parties, we see the coalition as a coalition of parties, social and professional organizations, community based organizations, citizens, religious groups, its goes much beyond parties,” he said. Additionally, it has not been worked out within the coalition what the mechanisms are going to be to harmonise the interest of the political parties. This, he said, is a work-in-progress.
Roopnaraine recalled the WPA had suggested that PNCR presidential candidates should attend the meetings of the coalition to be part of the process but it never happened.
However, he said Opposition Leader Robert Corbin provided assurances that he was sharing all the business of the coalition with all the candidates in the race.
Further, Roopnaraine said, a plank of the coalition is to establish a government of national unity should it take power, “because we are firm in the belief that a national government is required in Guyana”. He continued: “The winner-takes-all politics has gotten us nowhere in this country and it has brought us to the brink of disaster in many areas, our feeling is that we have to put this firmly behind us in our history.”
Roopnaraine added that if anything has been demonstrated these past decades is that neither of the major racial groups is prepared to be ruled by the other, and he stressed that the winner-takes-all system has exacerbated the situation.
‘It could
be Granger’
“It could be Granger,” GAP/ROAR Member of Parliament, Everall Franklin said yesterday when contacted but he pointed out that discussions are still ongoing. The terms of reference for the JOPP working group is important, he said, adding “if you don’t get this right, you wouldn’t get anything right”.
With respect to Granger’s statement on the issue of leadership of the opposition coalition, Franklin said the PNCR presidential nominee needs to be acclimatized in the discussions of the joint opposition parties. He contended that the question at this time is not who will lead the coalition, but whether the JOPP can put a team together which is the best alternative to the current government.
Franklin said when Granger makes reference to the persons who voted him in as “having questions about the coalition and who will lead”, he also needs to consider the fact that only a sample, some 42% of PNCR voters at the special congress chose him.
He reiterated that the critical issue is not the leadership but the programme which the JOPP is working on.
“This issue of who will lead the coalition is not for us to determine now… but I will put everything down to moving from one party to national stage, which obviously will have different dimensions. This is not a numbers game it is about what the people of Guyana want,” Franklin added.
