PPP fires back at President over security comments

President David Granger found him on the receiving end of additional criticisms by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo over comments he made during Thursday’s handing over of the Security Sector Reform Programme report, done with support from the United Kingdom.
Granger stated that the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government was insincere about wanting to reform the security sector and that the PPP/C was “all a bluff” in this area.
Jagdeo, at a news conference held at his Church Street office, fired back at the President on the issue. Jagdeo noted that it is shameful for a President to condemn the work of the previous Administration, when under Granger’s Government the largest security initiative is the Citizens’ Security Programme, which the PPP/C negotiated. “This is their biggest crime-fighting tool right now… and he says the PPP is all bluff,” he said.
Currently the Government is rolling out the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) negotiated Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP), he noted.
He added that President Granger is “all about ceremony” and the public handover of the report of the Security Sector Reform Project is quite likely because he is “acutely” aware that his Government is failing in the security sector.
Taking another jab at Granger’s Government, the Opposition Leader noted that the members of the coalition Government seem to have an “inferiority complex” when it comes to foreigners. “Does it not seem strange or apparent to Guyanese now that this Government has a chip on its shoulder, an inferiority complex for foreigners – one will solve corruption and one will solve crime,” Jagdeo said.

UK advisor
Referring to the blitz surrounding Sam Sittlington, the UK advisor to SOCU, the Opposition Leader charged that the moves seem deliberate on the part of the Government. “Every time they are on the back-foot, they resurrect SOCU…and true to form, he (Sittlington) seems to have taken over the Government PR (public relations) campaign (in this regard),” Jagdeo said.
According to him, the PPP/C is supportive of “any work done properly and objectively” to address corruption, but will oppose witch-hunts and public relations campaigns as seen in the last few weeks.