The Private Sector Commission (PSC) yesterday urged the main contestants at the May 11th general election to issue a joint statement condemning hostile behaviour on the campaign trail and calling for tolerance.
At a press conference called to discuss the conduct of this elections, Ramesh Persaud, Chair-man of the PSC, said, that “the commission has noted with concern the seemingly escalating hostility with which candidates and supporters of the major political parties are reacting to each other.”
He noted that “the private sector commission as the voice of the business community is committed to the cause of ensuring elections 2015 are peaceful, free, fair and credible.”
As a result, it has written to the leaders of the two major political parties with regards to the conduct of the election. In the letter, the PSC expresses the opinion that the escalating hostility is an unfortunate and potentially dangerous development for which all parties must accept responsibility.
Making it clear that campaign rhetoric needs to be toned down as it is irresponsible and unnecessary, the PSC Chairman beseeched “the leaders of the PPP/C and APNU+AFC to confront and defeat this trend by coming together to make a joint statement which condemns all or any form of hostile behaviour and calls for tolerance on the part of each citizen, regardless of political persuasion.”
Recent days have seen charge and counter charge between the two main contestants on the destruction of campaign material, among other issues. Speeches, particularly by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, have also been cited as creating racial tensions and scaremongering.
Reminding the leaders that regardless of the outcome, the country must be both governed and governable in the aftermath of the polls, Persaud said that he “believes once a joint statement is done it will give a positive sign to the supporters, who may be taking cues from their leaders in regards to respecting each other.”
The commission assured that it would be meeting with both the main political contenders to address the issues raised in the letter as well as to encourage them to sign the Guyana Elections Commission’s Political Parties Code of Conduct, which neither of the major campaigns has yet signed. Persaud urged the campaigns to sign this code of conduct and to abide by its contents.
Expressing the opinion that the code of conduct is a “little bit late in its development and issuing,” the commission members yesterday nevertheless noted that they believe it is a good code of conduct.
While acknowledging that codes of conduct are not necessarily enforceable and binding, PSC member Kit Nascimento noted that they are considered “a guide to good behaviour” and a means through which the public can hold the parties accountable for past behaviour and tone down future behaviour.
Nascimento, who chaired the press conference, expressed the view that “if contesting parties sign on to a code of conduct, it means they have accepted the code as a proper way to behave.”
The commission believed that the major parties signing onto the code of conduct will increase the public’s confidence in the election process.
The PSC also noted that it is ready to host a planned debate between the presidential candidates at a moment’s notice, should the opposition agree to same.
The PSC had reached out to the two major campaigns offering to facilitate a debate between the two presidential candidates. The opposition APNU+AFC responded with a counter proposal for a prime ministerial debate first. The incumbent PPP/C subsequently refused to participate in a prime ministerial debate, saying that it would not expose its candidate Elisabeth Harper to more ridicule from her counterpart Moses Nagamootoo.
The unwillingness of the two leading parties to compromise is concerning, Persaud noted, as it does not “augur well for even the future relationship of these two parties once the elections is completed.” “A non-agreement on a simple issue such as a debate/(s) [leads me to be] concerned about the kind of compromises we are going to have after the elections”, Persaud said.
Nascimento added that the PSC’s invitation to both parties is for a presidential debate; it had not considered a prime ministerial debate. He expressed the opinion that the opposition’s position of two debates or no debates is unreasonable.
Meanwhile, the PSC confirmed that it will be one of the domestic observers of the elections. Persaud said the PSC is hoping to have 35 or more observers and will be establishing a communication sector in the building to monitor any developing event during the day.
He also said it also endorsed all the observers and is particularly happy that the US-based Carter Center has accepted the government’s invitation.
(Thandeka Percival)
