A row has erupted over the postponement of an engagement between representatives of political parties at the University of Guyana with the AFC flaying PPP Presidential Candidate, Donald Ramotar for avoiding the “debate” while the PPP said Ramotar was never invited to any debate.
The PPP yesterday released the letter from Head of UG’s Faculty of Social Sciences, Kadasi Ceres dated February 22 which was addressed to the General Secretary of the PPP. “With national and regional elections scheduled later this year, the University of Guyana through the Faculty of Social Sciences is interested in having political parties meet with students as part of their engagement with society.
The objectives of these exercises are to provide a forum for discussion and interaction between students and representatives of political parties (and) to enable political parties to present issues of national development as outlined in the parties’ manifestos and in particular those which apply to young people”, the letter said.
It asked whether interest could be confirmed in the activity and said that feedback was also being solicited on a suitable time between March to May.
Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud responded to the letter on April 18 saying that Ramotar was available in May at a mutually convenient date and time.
Yesterday, the AFC’s Presidential Candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan was asked at the party’s weekly media briefing whether he had met any of the other Presidential Candidates and he said that he had not met officially but exchanged courtesies with them at cocktails. He added that he had hoped to meet them last week Wednesday at UG and again yesterday but the events were cancelled. While he was not sure of last week’s cancellation he said that yesterday’s cancellation was because of the PPP.
The party’s Prime Ministerial Candidate, Sheila Holder said that the organizer must not take the AFC for granted since they have welcomed the invitation and Ramjattan is ready to debate but “he (the organizer) continues to pander to the other players” and this is not acceptable.
“And if Donald Ramotar is too afraid to participate in a debate with the AFC’s presidential candidate … the arrangements should proceed without him”, she added.
In a statement yesterday, the PPP said that it is “amusing and outright dishonest of the AFC and its media mouthpiece” to suggest that Ramotar has avoided a debate with other Presidential Candidates. The statement said that the letter did not invite Ramotar to a debate or forum with other Presidential Candidates. “In fact, this could not have been the case as it was sent weeks before Mr. Ramotar won the unanimous nomination of the leadership and membership of the People’s Progressive Party”, the statement said. “The PPP/C’s Presidential Candidate continues to avail himself to any public discourse/debate, especially as it relates to the proud track-record and legacy of the PPP/C Government and the future of Guyana”, it added.
