The ruling PPP/C yesterday denounced the claim by AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan that the government was preparing to buy-off MPs to ensure passage of the national budget now being debated in parliament.
In a news item in yesterday’s Stabroek News, Ramjattan warned “of a strategy whereby government is now trying to buy two or three parliamentarians on the opposition side”. He was speaking at an AFC forum on the budget on Sunday. The opposition has 33 seats in Parliament and the government 32. This means that there is no guarantee that the government budget will pass.
In a statement this afternoon, Freedom House said “The People’s Progressive Party/Civic has noted the continuation of headline grabbing accusations by AFC Chairman and Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan that the PPP/C Government is in some way involved in a covert operation to induce/coerce opposition members of the house to vote in favour of the national budget estimates.
“The party refutes such an insinuation which clearly exposes the fickle mindset of the AFC‘s Chairman who has consistently made outlandish, unsubstantiated accusations against the government.
“The PPP/C is of the firm belief that no Member of Parliament representing the people of Guyana should be coerced into supporting any business of the National Assembly and will not tolerate such behaviour
“It is clear that Ramjattan and by extension the AFC is still in an election mode where each member sought to outdo the other in their reckless, baseless allegations to impugn the good name of the PPP/C and its leaders”, the statement said.
