The Board of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) is divided on the apology sent by the organisation to President David Granger over the behaviour of the opposition PPP members who disrupted his speech at its luncheon last Thursday.
“It is not the official position of the Board. It was just put out there by a few members,” one member of the 14-member board told Sunday Stabroek, while requesting anonymity. It was also noted that not all board members were consulted on the letter.
When contacted, Clinton Williams, President of the GMSA, said that while it is true that not all of the members were consulted, some members approached him on issuing a formal apology and he felt the situation warranted such a reply. Williams said he stood by the decision and would be ready to do the same again in the circumstances. Other members who disagreed but did not want to be named complained bitterly over the decision.
“It is not right for the GMSA to put out a statement like that, attacking a political party and say it is its position. What is that? To say sorry to the President is one thing, but when you say one party’s behaviour is an affront to what you believe, what do you think people will think you are saying? They will say you are pro one side and anti the other,” another executive said.
PPP members Juan Edghill and Nigel Dharamlall and supporters on Thursday disrupted President Granger’s address to a GMSA business luncheon at the Pegasus Hotel, dubbing him an “illegal president” due to his failure to announce an elections date in keeping with the passage of a no-confidence motion against the government last December
Granger had just concluded the salutations of his prepared address and then made reference to the quietude of the inside of the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel as compared to the protests that greeted him outside of the hotel, when the disruption began. “We survived a bit of hooliganism,” the president said to the chuckles from attendees.
But from nearby, Edghill’s boisterous retort seemed to shock attendees. “Not hooliganism. You are illegal. You are an illegal president!” he screamed. “People’s power, no dictator!” others chanted.
Unfazed, Granger said, “Apparently the hooliganism has migrated from outside to inside. I had this experience a few years ago in the National Assembly and had described that as vulgarianism.”
PPP supporters pulled out folded placards and in unison began chants that the government was illegal and Granger was an illegal president.
It was only after ‘A’ Division Commander Marlon Chapman reasoned with them that the group left the event.
The next day, the GMSA issued a statement telling the President that it was sorry. “Our Association prides itself as a responsible member of the Private Sector with a mandate to interact with the Government of the day, irrespective of Party allegiance, in enhancing a necessary partnership towards the process of social and economic development. We fully accept the concept of public protest within a democratic context, but cannot condone protestors using the confines of private property to voice their concerns in such a boisterous and unruly manner,” it said in the letter to Granger that was also released to the media. Williams yesterday confirmed that he gave permission for the letter to be released on behalf of the organisation and will defend the contents at any time. He said that he was out of the country and was contacted by executives who advised that an apology be given to the president.
“I was out and I asked some colleagues to draft it and I approved it. There was no time for consultation. It was very clear what happened and it is not the first time since I am President that I am doing this. I think my decision was warranted and I can defend it at any time. Consultation would take almost a week,” he said as he explained that disrespect to President Granger was a serious matter.
“You have something borderline on hooliganism and you are not going to telling him you are sorry? I don’t want to take the association to any direction,” he added.
One member said that the issue is not about the apology but the principle that members be consulted before statements be sent out, particularly given the political context.
Williams said the entire board cannot be consulted at all times for decision making over things such as press releases and added that even in such instances there is dissent. “In any organisation, government …in any part of the world, there will always be dissent. I stand by my decision,” he said.
