A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday castigated President Irfaan Ali over his handling of a rape allegation scandal that engulfed Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall.
APNU, the main opposition, said Ali’s statement on Tuesday night accepting the resignation of Dharamlall was “shameless, pathetic, callous, and unacceptable”.
It said that the President showed no remorse or sympathy towards the complainant in the matter, a 16-year-old girl.
“He expressed no empathy for the feelings of the masses of Guyanese who experienced, and continue to experience, shock and moral outrage over the injustice. He expressed no concern that the criminal justice and child protection systems in the country malfunctioned. Irfaan Ali expressed concern for none of that!” APNU thundered.
The party charged that Ali’s sole concern was the image of his government.
“President Ali’s statement exposes the moral bankruptcy and self-obsession of the PPP regime. The PPP is not interested in justice, accountability, and the rule of law. The PPP is instead bent on putting its self-interest above the human and constitutional rights and welfare of our children, women, and citizenry as a whole.
“We call on citizens not to let their memories and sense of moral outrage fade over these acts of atrocities by the PPP. The more the PPP regime believes it can act in any fashion with immunity, the more it will be disrespectful and dismissive of us as citizens of Guyana. And the more our lives and livelihoods will be endangered”, the party said.
Dharamlall’s resignation followed a finding by the Director of Public Prosecutions that he could not be charged with rape. His resignation was announced by Ali from Trinidad where he was attending a CARICOM summit.
