“Granger leapfrogged into futuristic talk of national unity” – Rohee

…says cohesion cannot be fostered under present conditions

By Devina Samaroo

trapped in an atmosphere riddled with perceptions of political and racial discrimination and victimisation, People’s Progressive Party General Secretary Clement Rohee foresees Guyana making no advancement towards national unity and social cohesion.

Rohee started off his weekly press conference by starkly criticising President David Granger’s address to the Parliament, comparing its effect to that of a damp squib.

“Heavy emphasis was placed on high-sounding and lofty ideals such as social cohesion and national unity,” the General Secretary denounced, positing that the speech was more suited for an audience comprising A

Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) supporters.

Rohee contended that the type of national unity that the Government speaks of cannot be achieved under current conditions, given ongoing discrimination and victimisation.

“The terms and conditions he is setting for his variation of national unity is not acceptable to us, especially in the present conditions under which we are living, having regard to what they are doing in relation to the witch-hunting, racial and political discrimination and victimisation,” Rohee asserted.

“The man has totally ignored all of that and has leapfrogged into a very futuristic talk about national unity and social cohesion. National unity cannot happen under these conditions and Mr Granger is totally oblivious to that,” he noted.

Prompted to disclose what he believed was necessary to foster unity and cohesion, Rohee said there must be an end to the witch-hunting, and the allegations and accusations of corruption against former Governments.

“The ball is in the Government’s court,” Rohee stated. The current Administration, upon assumption to office, has given much lip service to the need for building a united nation.

The Social Cohesion Ministry, headed by Amna Ally, was established to aid in this process. On multiple occasions alike, Government Ministers have spoken vigorously about a massive movement taking place to foster national unity and social cohesion.

The PPP/C parliamentary Opposition was also invited to partake in national unity talks.

In November 2015; however, Rohee had wholly rejected those calls, pointing out that the current political atmosphere was not conducive to engaging the Administration on such a highly sensitive matter.

The PPP had generally contended that the purported promotion of “national unity” was nothing but a huge façade and window-dressing exercise.

Disaster of national proportions

Coming back to the President’s address, Rohee labelled it as a disaster of national proportions.

He pointed out that to claim that the absence of national unity has led to political and economic fatigue was “not only disingenuous; it is a reflection of a yawning gap between political rhetoric and the socio-economic realities obtaining in Guyana today”.

He also expressed that the President, in his address, “pretended to be above the fray and totally oblivious to what his underlings are doing on a daily basis to create social dislocation and disintegration as well as economic deprivation.”