PPP denies sabotaging PNC/R’s Congress

By Tracey Khan – Drakes

[www.inewsguyana.com]- General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Clement Rohee today (Monday, July1 8), dismissed allegations by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) that PPP/C members were responsible for ruckus that erupted at the close of its 18^th Biennial Congress yesterday.

Rohee said the PPP/C has its own interests to pursue and questioned why would its members want to to sabotage the PNC/R’s congress?

 “Why would the PPP want to? We must be a very influential and powerful Party to be able to sabotage a PNC Congress…I think that’s just politics,” Rohee said in a dismissive tone.

Brushing the allegations aside, he said that the PNC has always sought to throw blame at the foot of the PPP when things go sour for them.

Responding to claims of infiltration into the PNC membership, Rohee said “Oh that’s good news, that’s wonderful news….well I am happy to hear that and I have also heard him [David Granger] say that we would infiltrate people like this to create these difficulties for the Party, but that’s a rouse that has been always made whenever they have demonstrations or protest they would always claim that the PPP infiltrating people to engage in riots and disturbance and looting and so on so that’s nothing new.” 

Further, the PPP/C’s GS defended the Party’s keen interest in the outcome of the PNC/R’s Congress and denied that the PPP paid for a full page advertisement in a local newspaper in this regard.

“The PNC has been for years a major rival of the PPP politically so obviously we will have an interest in what they are doing in the same way they would have an interest in what we are doing.”

He called for evidence to support claims that the PPP paid for the advertisements in the local newspapers, however, he could not speak on behalf of the Government and whether they paid for the advertisement.

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform David Granger yesterday blamed the People’s Progressive Party for the chaos that erupted at the Party’s 18^th Biennial Congress.

Granger was unopposed during the leadership race, following the withdrawal of Aubrey Norton, who cited a flawed voting process. There were protests by the Linden faction that claimed they were prevented from voting.

The congress was also marred by the firing of a gunshot in the air.

“It is the opinion of the leadership of the PNCR that these events were deliberately orchestrated by the PPPC to sabotage the congress, but failed miserably. The PNCR intends to mount an investigation to deal with these agents who helped with the PPPC’s plan to sabotage our 18^th Biennial Congress,” the Party said.

When asked to provide evidence of this, Granger noted that the PPP and other agencies published full page advertisements in the newspapers, expressing their interest in the outcome of the Congress.