[www.inewsguyana.com] – Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Member, Moses Nagamootoo says the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has no “morality to lecture anyone” on alliance politics.
During a press conference on Thursday, February 05, Nagamootoo revealed that the ruling Party is seeking to fool the indo – Guyanese constituency to further divide the nation by attacking the coalition talks between the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity.
“It therefore must back off from its dirty, racist propaganda to confuse and fool mainly its Indo-Guyanese constituency, and further divide the nation. AFC assures that Guyanese have nothing to fear, nothing to lose from the broadest possible unity to bring change on May 11. 2015,” Nagamootoo said.
Nagamootoo provided historical proof that the PPP, while it was in Opposition, actively sought to form an alliance with the People’s National Congress (PNC).
“In 1964, it was Cheddi Jagan who invited Mr. L.F.S. Burnham to form a PPP-PNC coalition government. He offered Burnham Deputy premiership and half of the Cabinet. He exhorted Burnham to join him as that was the only recipe for unity, peace and harmony.
“Dr. Jagan wanted a PPP-PNC merger or coalition since the split in 1955.
“Not long after rigged elections in 1973, the PPP gave the PNC government “critical support”, which was a form of alliance, only that the PPP was not included in the government.”
See full statement below:
GOALS OF NATIONAL UNITY REMAIN VIABLE
The Alliance For Change (AFC) condemns as desperate and divisive the campaign by the PPP against moves by the combined parliamentary opposition parties and civil society to form a broad alliance.
The Alliance believes that even though for 60 years, the search for a multi-ethnic, multi-class, national coalition government has eluded us, the goals of national unity remain viable and ought to be pursued by all genuine patriots.
AFC defends its alliance policy, which is based on principles of winner-does-not-take-all and inclusive democracy. In any such alliance, the AFC does not seek to dominate, but to promote the mutual interests of all.
AFC notes that it was Cheddi Jagan, the late founder-leader of the PPP, who had fought tirelessly for a coalition between the PPP and PNC. He did that before and after Independence, before and after episodes of rigged elections, and before and after Walter Rodney was killed.
It was Dr. Jagan who advocated ethnic and national unity through a mechanism of ONE government, TWO parties.
In 1964,it was Cheddi Jagan who invited Mr. L.F.S. Burnham to form a PPP-PNC coalition government. He offered Burnham Deputy premiership and half of the Cabinet. He exhorted Burnham to join him as that was the only recipe for unity, peace and harmony.
Dr. Jagan wanted a PPP-PNC merger or coalition since the split in 1955.
Not long after rigged elections in 1973, the PPP gave the PNC government “critical support”, which was a form of alliance,only that the PPP was not included in the government.
By 1976, when it was apparent that the PPP and the PNC were driven by the same ideology, key leaders of the party defected to the PNC. Some served as Government Ministers, and the PPP’s key ideologue and heir-apparent Ranji Chandisingh was to become the PNC’s General Secretary.
By 1977, on the eve of the rigged referendum, the PPP proposed a National Patriotic Front Government that would include the PPP and PNC.
The PPP again courted Burnham to form a PNC-PPP coalition government AFTER Walter Rodney was killed, and AFTER the 1980 elections were rigged.
On the eve of Burnham’s death, there were secret talks at Burnham’s Belfield country house, to hammer out a PPP-PNC Coalition. When Burnham died in 1985, the coalition idea died as well.
It is pure opportunism that the PPP’s pseudo-leaders are today accusing the AFC with betrayal and selling out for exploring the coalition idea.
Faced with a similar situation as today, the PPP in 1990 joined with other opposition parties to form the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD). It offered the fringe parties 50% of the joint electoral slate, 50% of Cabinet plus the Prime Minister. But the talks collapsed when the WPA opposed Cheddi Jagan as the consensus presidential candidate.
Having tasted rejection more than once, the PPP now resorts to “sour grapes politics” by attacking all those who want to come together in a broad alliance.
At the same time, it dances with political wolves in a frenzy of opportunism.
The PPP has incorporated into its ranks elements who once determined to destroy the party. They imported Odinga Lumumba from the PNC, Joe Hamilton from the House of Israel, Leslie Ramsammy from the Guyana Republican Party, Nanda Gopaul from the Guyana Labour Party (GLP), Kwame McCoy from Good and Green Guyana (GGG) and Mansoor Nadir from the United Force (UF),the latter having coalesced with the PNC 1964 to keep the PPP out of office for 28 years. (1964-1992).
The PPP has no morality to lecture anyone on alliance politics. It therefore must back off from its dirty, racist propaganda to confuse and fool mainly its Indo-Guyanese constituency, and further divide the nation. AFC assures that Guyanese have nothing to fear, nothing to lose from the broadest possible unity to bring change on May 11. 2015.
