Peter Ramsaroop, Leader of the Guyana People’s Partner-ship (GPP) yesterday said that his group has discontinued coalition talks with the Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP) but said that the door is still open for talks to resume.
Ramsaroop, who told Stabroek News that his party was in discussions with the grouping of the PNCR-1G, GAP, WPA and NFA, confirmed that the move was as a result of a statement he made about the main opposition party on Capitol News last week.
“I would be very blunt… The PNC has never won an election in their life,” Ramsaroop said on the newscast. But yesterday, he said the statement aired on the newscast was not the entire sentence as he had continued by saying that none of the opposition parties had ever won an election and had called for urgency and a unified approach if they wanted to unseat the PPP/C.
The outspoken Ramsaroop, who was once part of the PNC’s Reform arm and also the former CEO of the Alliance For Change, maintained that the main opposition party has never won an election in the history of Guyana.
He said while as far as he knows no one in the PNCR’s leadership had any issue with the statement, he is aware that it caused some discomfort among some members of the party. He made mention of a letter written to the press by party Executive Lurlene Nestor, who criticised him for making such a statement.
The statement also attracted the ire of Guyana Action Party (GAP) parliamentarian Everall Franklin, who in an e-mail correspondence, now made public, criticised Ramsaroop for the April 6 statement. In the e-mail, titled ‘To whom it may concern,’ Franklin urged the members of the JOPP to meet with utmost importance to discuss a “most unwelcomed development.”
“With utter disgust I saw and listened to Mr. Peter Ramsaroop, leader of the People’s Partnership in a most disparaging manner, condemned the PNC, JOPP and the entire process of alliance building,” Franklin said in the e-mail.
He continued that this occurred although they as individual groups had agreed not to go to the press, before discussions were had amongst themselves. “This cannot be seen as an oversight or lapse since Peter sat with us at yesterday’s meeting planning the future of a possible coalition. Knowing this Mr. Ramsaroop was most insincere.
It is therefore necessary to end this deceit and I, on behalf of The Guyana Action Party, wish to convey in the strongest possible terms our disgust at the level of treacherousness dis-played. We will not continue with any charade or foolishness. Our country’s future is at stake,” Franklin said.
In response to the email, Ramsaroop indicated that his interview was done before Tuesday’s meeting and added that nothing he said was unique. “Nothing I have said is unique as it has been my public view and nothing I would not have talked to the leader on the opposition [and PNCR leader Robert Corbin] on.”
“If you would put that same negative passion you seem to have in every meeting in completing the tasks of a true unified vision, strategy and direction of a broad coalition, we would have been far way ahead,” Ramsaroop wrote Franklin in his response.
He said that he was committed to a new broader vision for the nation as the policies of the past have failed, as demonstrated by their not having won an election as an opposition. “Therefore, just plugging us together without a vision of the future, a differentiating factor to the new voters and a passion to truly bring about Change we Can all EMBRACE will not be effective,” he said.
Ramsaroop yesterday admitted to Stabroek News that there are some in his group who are not happy with the decision to discontinue talks with the JOPP. “But we are not closing the door [on the discussions] at all as I believe in a united opposition that can unseat the PPP/C,” Ramsaroop said.
He said for the JOPP to succeed, there must but an urgency to develop “something different” as that is what the populace is asking for.
