AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday suggested that the PPP has been attempting to pay off at least three opposition parliamentarians as much as $30 million each, ahead of a possible vote on a no-confidence motion against the government—a claim that both the Donald Ramotar administration and the ruling party strongly refuted yesterday.
“We’ve gotten reliable information that the PPP’s answer to the no-confidence motion is not like what is being said now. The answer is to at least buy off three parliamentarians, at $30 million each, to vote no rather than yes. That’s the only way. So that all they are saying, that they have an option, that is the only option that they have,” Ramjattan told a press conference yesterday.
The allegation was made a day after the government indicated that it will not call early general elections to pre-empt the no-confidence motion when the National Assembly comes out of its recess next month.
Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon on Wednesday said that the government would seek to debate the motion and defend its track record.
If the AFC’s motion is supported by members of main opposition APNU on a vote, the government would be forced to resign and general elections would have to be held within 90 days.
Ramjattan also said that he was confident that the AFC’s seven Members of Parliament (MPs) would not fall prey to the enticement.
“It is asking of our parliamentarians to be honest with themselves, their consciences and to the people of Guyana and I believe that the AFC seven will hold true to that position. I am absolutely certain that they will,” he said.
“I cannot speak for APNU but I am absolutely certain too, from what I have been hearing, that indeed the APNU 26 are going to hold true but the PPP is on their backs, some members of the opposition—and I wouldn’t want to, at this stage, dare name them—but they are speaking to them, big money,” he added.
Leader of APNU David Granger later expressed surprise at Ramjattan’s allegation and he said that he had not had any reports of a parliamentary vote buy off. “I haven’t received any report. You have to ask Mr Ramjattan where he got that. The opposition is made up of two sides, you know, and I don’t know of any attempt. I don’t know of anyone, on our side, who is susceptible to that sort of inducement. I don’t know what he is talking about,” Granger said.
Meanwhile, Office of the President (OP) issued a statement expressing its shock at the “outrageous” allegation, which it said was the latest in “a long line of reckless and baseless utterances” from the AFC.
“Office of the President holds firmly to the view that the AFC has become desperate and is obviously prepared to adopt strange postures and make wild and irresponsible statements in their quest to exaggerate their importance and standing,” it said.
OP also called on Ramjattan to name the three parliamentarians and lodge a criminal report with police along with a request for an investigation.
An almost identical rejection was issued by the PPP, which dubbed Ramjattan’s claim “utter rubbish.” It added that, from all appearances, the AFC appeared to be in stiff competition with APNU in a race grab headlines, resulting in “the reckless statements and challenges” emanating from both camps.
The ruling party also pointed to its “well-established track record” of defending and struggling for electoral, parliamentary and constitutional democracy and the rule of law. “The party of Cheddi Jagan will never do anything to undermine the democratic rights and constitutional freedoms of our people,” it said.
