Saying it has been “tried and tested” by the opposition’s one-seat parliamentary majority, the PPP has resolved to work towards regaining control at the next elections.
“We recognize that in this the post-November 2011 election period we have been tried and tested by the one seat majority of the opposition APNU and AFC in the National Assembly and their reckless anti-national positions,” the Political Declaration of the PPP’s 30th Congress, which concluded last Sunday at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice states.
“We resolutely resolve here today that we, the party delegates and observers, to the 30th Congress, will work strenuously to strengthen the party and its bodies, to invigorate our work amongst the people with more focused political leadership and consciousness, to ensure that the present situation is reversed at the next elections,” the declaration, which was released yesterday, adds.
Following the November 28, 2011 elections, the PPP/C won the presidency but lost control of the 65-seat National Assembly to APNU and the AFC, which hold a combined one-seat majority. The PPP/C’s showing represented the first time since 1992 that it did not have a controlling stake in the House.
Towards strengthening the PPP the party delegates and observers to the 30th Congress have endorsed General Secretary Donald Ramotar’s report, saying the conclusions on building the strength of the party to confront new challenges and support the government are of utmost importance.
The declaration also pledges to address any reports of corruption—a problem that has beset the PPP/C government—and lauds the tenure of former president Bharrat Jagdeo.
Addressing corruption, the delegates and observers say that they stand firmly on the side of good governance, the promotion of accountability in government and in the party and transparency of those in public life. “Furthermore, we support the party in government and the party in firmly addressing such cases of corruption wheresoever they are found in a timely manner,” they add.
Corruption in government is one of the reasons the party’s critics have cited for its worsening performance at the polls.
In lauding Jagdeo, they say his stewardship as president put the country on the world map for its achievements in the political, economic and social spheres and his visionary role on climate change at the international levels.
In the declaration, the delegates and observers also note recent global and regional developments “where democratically-elected governments have been toppled by military and other undemocratic interventions” and added that they remain “watchful.”
“We remain committed to the PPP as the only political party which has brought progress and betterment for our people and laid the foundation for democracy in colonial times: struggled for 28 years to restore it at the first free and fair elections on October 5, 1992 and has consolidated the democratic architecture of our country through constitutional, parliamentary and legislative reforms and enhancement of human rights of our people over the last two decades,” they say, while adding that they will do “all that is humanly possible to prevent reversals and a return to the pre-1992 days.”
Party delegates and observers also pledge their determination to continue to unite the diverse ethnic groups in the country and to unequivocally reject those intent on dividing the people on the basis of ethnicity. “We recognise that ethnic insecurities are real and that any political solution must address these insecurities and build trust and confidence among our people,” they add.
According to the declaration, party members recognise that in the PPP/C’s 21 years in office, the country has seen tremendous economic progress, a radically reformed constitution, the safeguard of democracy, human rights and due process as well as the protection of workers, assistance to the private sector and good relations with neighbouring states, among other things.
It also says transformative developmental projects, which will allow Guyana to make quantum leaps to being a modern democratic nation, have been created. Against this background, party delegates and observers pledge their “unswerving support” to efforts to ensure that the Amaila Falls Hydro-Electric Project is not torpedoed “by the anti-national posture of the opposition forces” and “that the government continue its efforts to advance other transformative projects such as the Specialty Hospital and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion project.” (Developer Sithe Global has since walked from the Amaila project over the lack of political consensus on the venture.)
The declaration also reaffirms a “firm commitment” to ensuring that public safety and security remains a top priority in the overall developmental strategy of the PPP/C administration. “To this end, we will work to ensure that the Administration provides the Joint Services with the necessary tools and legal provisions to allow them to execute effectively their lawful responsibilities in the fight against all forms of criminal activities and the protection of our borders,” it says.
It also commits the party to ensuring that the human, political and civil rights of every Guyanese is safeguarded within the meaning of the Constitution and the criminal justice system. “The party in government pledges to vigorously defend the security of Guyanese of all walks of life and to combat violence in the home, schools, at work and at play,” it says.
It adds that that there is still more to be done and the party recognises that some things that it wanted to do in government could not be done “because of the lack of human, technical and financial resources.”
