Former President Donald Ramotar has been invited to participate in this year’s Independence Day observance and the new administration is hopeful that he will attend in the spirit of national unity.
“Under my hand I have written to the General Secretary of the PPP inviting them to the Independence celebration…to be a part of it and I trust that in the interest of national unity, a response in a very positive way,” Minister of State Joseph Harmon told Stabroek News yesterday.
President David Granger said last week that after making an informal request to the PPP to partner with the new government for national unity, a formal request will be dispatched soon.
During his first address to the nation after being sworn in as President two Saturdays ago, Granger said he would have liked to see more ex-ministers and even Ramotar present because it would have been an illustration of their commitment to inclusionary democracy. “I extend the arm of friendship to former president Donald Ramotar…to join this movement of national unity,” he had said to the deafening applause from the crowd, including coalition members and other invitees at the event.
However, the PPP said that as of last Tuesday, no formal or informal request had been made to it. “The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to label as deceptive the pronouncements made in the press by Leader of the APNU+AFC Coalition David Granger that he has invited the PPP/C to join ‘a national unity movement’,” a statement from the party said.
“However, to date, we have received no formal or informal invitation from the APNU+AFC on this issue. The pronouncement, therefore of Granger, is a political gimmick and nothing else,” it added.
Granger told Stabroek News on Wednesday that he made an informal request in his speech but it seemed to him that it was not clear. He noted that if former president Ramotar was seeking a letter documenting such requests, he will be compiling it soon and have it dispatched.
