Cabinet Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon has suggested that the uneasiness expressed by the PNCR and the AFC over President Bharrat Jagdeo’s recent utterances at Babu John, Port Mourant could possibly be dealt with “internally and at a bilateral level”.
Luncheon was at the time responding to a question as to whether the President would withdraw the statements in the light of the concerns raised by the two opposition political parties. Both the PNCR and the AFC discussed the issue with Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Albert Ramdin on Wednesday.
Jagdeo, on Sunday, delivered a stinging attack on the PNCR presidential candidate David Granger as well as on AFC Leader Raphael Trotman and other senior members of the party.
He said the PNCR nominee is characterised by repression and has “blood on his hands” from that period in the country’s history. Granger has labelled this an “untruth” but said he would not respond to the President’s attack “at this time.”
Jagdeo also criticised Trotman, saying that the real reason he declined a key position in his party for the election was because he lacked faith in his party’s ability to succeed at the polls and not poor health as he had stated.
Asked specifically if the President’s statements would be withdrawn following the parties’ decision to raise the matter with the OAS, Luncheon offered a personal view that this may not be a strong enough basis for doing so. “I don’t believe that that presents itself as the basis for so doing. I think if you said to me that Mr Corbin or the AFC engaged the President himself. If you said to me that communities engaged the President himself, there may very well be the basis for some dialogue,” Luncheon said. “But if you told me the OAS Deputy Secretary General raised the matter with the leaders of opposition political parties or they raised it with him…I doubt whether you could use that as sufficient basis for going to the President and saying well we raised it with someone else, would you have a rethink,” he continued.
“My suspicion is that the cut and thrust, and this is just my suspicion, of the politics… should see this being dealt with internally and at a bilateral level.”
During Ramdin’s courtesy call on PNCR Leader Robert Corbin, the Opposition Leader briefed the OAS official on what was described as the “malicious” statements made by the President. Corbin expressed the view that the statements were provocative and could reignite racial conflicts. He said it was not the first time Jagdeo had used a public forum “to make wild accusations, maliciously misinterpret events and mislead the public thereby promoting social instability.”
Granger and party General Secretary Oscar Clarke were also in attendance. Granger said, “such irresponsible and uninformed statements by the Head of State could have serious national consequences after years of relative calm.”
Ramdin was not fully aware of the statements attributed to the President at Babu John but promised to fully study them, a release from the PNCR said.
According to the release, the Deputy Secretary General pointed out that the OAS is always concerned about any statement that may incite racism and social instability, noting that such statements could cause serious problems especially in an election period.
The AFC, in its engagement with Ramdin, according to a release from the party, discussed “the recent ‘cuss down’ of the opposition which racial overtones at Babu John.” Trotman, AFC presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan, AFC MP Latchmin Punalall and Campaign Director Salaudeen Nausrudeen, attended the meeting.
