The Alliance for Change (AFC) is holding fast to its choice of Moses Nagamootoo for Speaker of the National Assembly despite a volley of criticisms from David Granger of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) who said that the former PPP/C member is unsuited for the job.
This is according to the AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan who spoke with Stabroek News yesterday. During this interview, he countered Granger’s statements which were carried in an article in Friday’s edition of the Stabroek News.
Ramjattan also warned that the AFC will pull out of talks with APNU should the Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) go ahead with a planned protest march in support of APNU’s candidates for Speaker.
Ramjattan said that contrary to what Granger is suggesting, Nagamootoo cannot be considered to be closely aligned to the PPP when he took the difficult decision to leave that party that he has been a part of for about five decades.
“My argument is that he has the experience and every other thing. Granger is now contending that because [Nagamootoo] is a longstanding PPP member when abuses by the PPP/C administration were being committed; that is one of the reasons,” said Ramjattan.
He said the other reason Granger is rejecting Nagamootoo is because he was “closely identifiable” with the PPP.”
“Nagamootoo by making that complete shift cannot be regarded as someone closely identifiable with the PPP. It takes a lot of thought and had to have been a heart-rending decision to remove yourself from the PPP to come and join another political party and in that context no one could say that he is closely identifiable with the PPP as Granger is indicating,” he said.
“As we all know, Nagamootoo had serious issues with some members of the PPP, issues of internal democracy and issues in relation to good governance at the national level.
‘And so he has been someone who was speaking out against the abuses the administration was committing.
That is what makes him all the more the person for the job,” he said.
Ramjattan said that there are very many in the PNC right now who knew of the nasty abuses of the PNC in the eighties and said nothing about it. “They remained silent. Moses has seen it fit to loudly disclaim and to be critical of [abuses], and to that extent then, he ought to be trusted. Moreover Moses created a tsunami effect in the stronghold of the PPP and that is what created this minority government. He substantially made it happen,” he said.
“So if there is anybody that you can trust notwithstanding [his recent] walk away from the PPP, it is Nagamootoo. Only four weeks ago, Granger, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and all the others wanted to join up with the PPP and sleep in bed with them in a national unity government,” he said.
“What is the logic? You can’t trust a Moses when he crossed the Rubicon, but couple of weeks ago you wanted to lie in bed with Donald and the rest?” he asked.
“I am maintaining that the AFC must be the party allowed to call the Speaker and all this talk that Nagamootoo is not the best person is ‘holier than thou’ behaviour on the part of APNU,” Ramjattan said.
He insisted that he is not being critical of Deborah Backer or Cammie Ramsaroop, the two APNU choices for Speaker. “[I am not saying] they are not fit candidates for the job, but I am saying that it ought to be an AFC call,” he said.
Ramjattan noted that the AFC is still committed to working with APNU on the finalization of the Speaker and will seek to further persuade APNU that Nagamootoo is the best person for the job, especially in the context of his legal and parliamentary experience.
Further, Ramjattan slammed the Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) for stating that it would be marching in support of Deborah Backer for Speaker of the National Assembly.
“I have noticed in the press that the youth section of APNU has indicated that they will demonstrate. The AFC especially Ramjattan is not going to be bullied by any youth section,” he said. “As a matter of fact I regard this kind of tactic as totally uncalled for at this stage and it can only anger the AFC to walk out of talks from the APNU,” he said.
He said that this kind of conduct can only cause a reconfiguration of what presently exists. “No ad terrorem exercises of this nature are going to impress the AFC and as far as I am concerned they are silly antics.
‘Quite frankly, I feel that they should come off the streets,” said Ramjattan.
“It would be an extremely sad day for the Joint Opposition not to utilize this grand opportunity to show what we can do. APNU had described the PPP as not being magnanimous when it did not call for a national unity government.
“The AFC is now saying that APNU is not being magnanimous when it is not calling for the AFC to have the Speaker,” he said.
He added that these issues must not be decided on the basis of numbers only.
The last meeting between the AFC and APNU, held on Friday, ended in deadlock as both parties sought to hold on to their position as to who should be the Speaker.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, Leader of APNU David Granger said that the APNU cannot be held accountable for the actions of YCT, which he said is an autonomous organisation. “APNU’s executive have not discussed, determined or directed [the actions of YCT],” Granger said, adding that the body’s plans are its own.
With regards to Ramjattan’s warning, Granger pointed out that the AFC was not in negotiations with the YCT but with APNU, and that the AFC should not make decisions on its negotiations with APNU based on the actions of the YCT. “If the AFC were in negotiations with the YCT I would have understood. APNU has made no statement on that.
We are in discussions with the AFC and we feel the discussions are fruitful, although they may not be [going as fast as we would like],” he said.
“We are still engaged [in talks with the AFC] and it would be unfortunate if the AFC were to break off the talks,” Granger said, calling the discussions to date cordial.
He expressed confidence in reaching an agreement on the Opposition parties’ choice for Speaker of the National Assembly soon.
