The PPP yesterday condemned APNU for its withdrawal from the corruption debates on state broadcaster NCN and said it was tantamount to an admission that charges of corruption were unfounded.
APNU said it was withdrawing because the debates were skewed and intended to ambush the opposition. It said that a raft of issues it had suggested was also ignored.
The PPP statement follows:
The People’s Progressive Party has observed that the APNU has forfeited its position on the issue of corruption in the PPP/C Government.
Their confirmation that they will not participate further in the ongoing public debates on corruption is an admission that their charges of corruption has been unfounded.
APNU in a desperate effort to save face has issued a press statement which is merely an attempt to distract from their withdrawal of participation in the ongoing debates organized by the National Communications Network where apart from political parties, professionals and members of the private sector are involved.
APNU’s attempt to hide from these public debates exposes them as intellectually incapable and impotent and confirms that they are only comfortable with their whisper campaigns away from public scrutiny where blatant lies are promulgated to slander, incite, create ethnic insecurities and hate towards the Government.
It is the very APNU which complained about lack of access to NCN and here it is they are being provided with unadulterated access to expose all their allegations of corruption in a forum which only serves to promote transparency and advance our democracy. However, rather than embracing such an opportunity they are making all manner of excuses to hide from being accountable to the people as it is clear that they have no evidence of corruption.
The People’s Progressive Party will continue to participate in this debate series and commends the other stakeholders including the other opposition party who have all been participating in this process which not only provides information to the public but also encourages their participation.
It is a shame that the APNU does not view this as important enough to warrant their participation.