We wish to commend our friends in the Business community, as well as the diaspora, who have thrown their support behind this effort. We also would like to thank our sympathizers and well wishers even as we ask for your patience in understanding the reasons for our anonymity.
You have to be understanding of the level of fear and insecurity as a result of this initiative among those that view our position in contradiction to theirs which could very well result in wanton acts of desperation on their part. Violence included!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Corbin says no to 3rd Term! As though his opinion matters!
The PNCR on Thursday last reiterated that it will never support an amendment to the constitution to allow President Bharrat Jagdeo to contest the Presidency for a third term.
Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference at Congress Place, PNCR-1G MP Keith Scott, who read from a prepared statement, said that for the President to be granted a third term in office, the Opposition would first have to agree to this and he emphasized that this will not happen.
Robert Corbin
The party’s statements come after the actions earlier this week of a shadowy group calling itself the “Guyanese Coalition For Jagdeo Third Term” (GCFJTT). The group has been distributing flyers and buttons campaigning for Jagdeo to be supported for a third run for the presidency. The members of the group remain unknown.
PNCR Leader Robert Corbin, who was present at yesterday’s press conference, told this newspaper on Wednesday that whoever was responsible for the actions of the group was “out of touch with reality because it will never happen.”
At the press conference, the PNCR labelled these recent actions as “political games” by the PPP intended to take the attention away from the various controversies ensnaring the PPP/C administration.
However, the PPP, through its General Secretary Donald Ramotar, has said that it is not in any way affiliated with the group and its activities. He also called the actions of this group mischievous since President Jagdeo has repeatedly denied having an interest in contesting for the presidency for a third time. Officials employed at the Office of the President have also stated that they are unaware as to who is behind this campaign.
The PNCR also said yesterday that the activities of the group are an attempt to distract from “the government’s involvement in criminal enterprises and the united call by the Joint Opposition Parties for an international inquiry of the administration as a result of the evidence revealed in the recent trial of Robert Simels in the United States.”
‘Group’ pushing for Jagdeo third term
A group calling itself the Guyanese Coalition For Jagdeo Third Term (GCFJTT) has been campaigning for a third term for President Bharrat Jagdeo by distributing flyers and buttons amid growing public concerns that a move may be afoot to amend the constitution to remove term limits.
It is, however, unclear who the members of this group are and whether they are affiliated with any another organization.
The flyer, which carries the name of the group, ends with the footer: “JAGDEO! OUR CHOICE FOR 2011”.
The button that is being distributed is white and it has the words “JAGDEO 3rd TERM” printed in red.
Meanwhile, suggestions that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) may be behind this have been refuted by its General Secretary Donald Ramotar. Ramotar, when contacted, told Stabroek News that the party is not in anyway associated with the GCFJTT and emphasized that the flyers and buttons “have nothing to do with the PPP”. He told this newspaper that he, himself, had been presented with one of the flyers and a button, from an unknown source. Ramotar opined that “it may be somebody trying to be mischievous since the President has repeatedly stated his position on the matter.”
Opposition slams third term feelers
The actions of the group calling itself the “Guyanese Coalition For Jagdeo Third Term” (GCFJTT) have been lambasted by the opposition parties, who have labelled the campaign as pointless.
Earlier this week, the shadowy GCFJTT began campaigning for a third term for President Bharrat Jagdeo, by distributing flyers and buttons. The group in the flyer said that Jagdeo had demonstrated “visionary, courageous and astute leadership over the years” and that the group wanted him to continue the “developmental path for a modern, peaceful and prosperous Guyana”. The group said that “we are prepared to utilize the constitutional mechanisms to a third term as President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.”
It is still unclear who the members of this group are and whether they are affiliated with any other organization.
However, President Jagdeo has repeatedly stated that he has no interest in running for a third term.
PNCR Leader Robert Corbin, when contacted last evening was in a meeting, but in a brief statement he called the actions of the group “diversionary” and added that “whoever is doing this is clearly out of touch with reality because it will never happen”. He said that his party will address the matter in greater detail today during its press conference.
AFC Leader Raphael Trotman, when reached for comment, said that his party respected the right of citizens to express their views but emphasized that his party would not support anything that was unconstitutional. He told this newspaper that he had also been a recipient of one of the flyers and buttons.
According to Trotman, the issue of extending the term limit was not something that the AFC would support and added that “we don’t believe that the incumbent has the right to seek an extension”. He said that the President seemed to have greater interest in addressing matters outside of Guyana than in the country.
Trotman also stated that he hoped that the PNCR shares a similar view and that they would not allow themselves to be coerced into supporting this move.
When asked if he had any idea as to who were the members of the (GCFJTT), the AFC leader said that sources have told him that officials employed at the Office of the President are behind the group and its activities.
However, an official attached to the Office of the President denied this and told Stabroek News that employees at OP were baffled by the entire episode.
Columnist for the Guyana Chronicle and employee at the Office of the President, Dr Randy Persaud said that he was surprised at the campaign. He said that he was unaware of the actions of the GCFJTT until he read yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News. He, however, echoed the sentiments of PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar who told this newspaper on Wednesday that the act was one intended to create mischief.
Ramotar, who on Tuesday stated that his party had nothing to do with the GCFJTT, told Stabroek News yesterday that he still did not know who was behind the campaign. When asked if the matter was one of concern to the party, Ramotar said that it had not been discussed as yet.” He, however, re-emphasized his belief that it was an attempt by someone to be mischievous.
Jagdeo calls for climate issues to be integral part of development planning
President Bharrat Jagdeo has called for better integration of climate change issues into development planning processes.
Participating in a high level climate change dialogue hosted by the President of the World Bank in Turkey on Monday, he also urged increased support for small states with tight fiscal space and which also have to accommodate high levels of spending to adapt to climate change.The dialogue event was held to coincide with the 2009 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank group.
The dialogue, held under a series of events titled the Bali Dialogue, brought together senior policymakers from around the world to discuss issues related to climate finance and the role of multilateral development banks.
Among these present were Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, and representatives of all of the major regional development banks.
Jagdeo updated those present on Guyana’s low carbon development strategy, and of the country’s partnership with the Government of Norway.The Bali Dialogue Series was held in the wake of a high-level event by senior policymakers on climate change in Bali on December 10 and 11, 2007, which concluded that it is important to integrate climate change issues into development planning and economic policies in a variety of future discussions at ministerial level.
The World Bank subsequently launched an initiative, together with the UNFCCC COP Troika of Indonesia, Poland, and Denmark to further explore the development aspects of the Bali meeting and to provide leaders and policymakers on development and finance with an opportunity to discuss and address key issues of climate change mitigation and adaptation for low-income developing countries in an informal setting.
This effort will support, inform, and complement, without duplicating, the UNFCCC process as well as supplement discussions among policymakers on climate change. This will include those in connection with the COP meetings and within the G-8 and G-20 country groups with respect to low-income developing countries.
President Jagdeo was accompanied at the meeting by Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh.
Guyana builds LCDS thrust in New York!
From popular actor Harrison Ford to Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Guyana last week continued to garner support for its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) at several key events in New York.President Bharrat Jagdeo was among more than 100 world leaders invited to the special climate change summit convened by United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and he continued plugging Guyana’s case, building on the country’s high international profile and leadership role in the global climate change battle.The special Climate Change summit was held on Tuesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, immediately prior to Wednesday’s opening of the two-day 64th UN General Assembly at the same venue.
“The climate change summit was excellent. I think for the first time, leaders themselves got involved in the issue of climate change (but) as for the General Assembly (GA), I think it was an anti-climax, after the special summit on climate change; it was just people going through the motion at the GA,” the Guyanese head-of-state told the Sunday Chronicle in an interview at the UN yesterday.
With the clock ticking towards this December’s climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, President Jagdeo reiterated his optimism that world leaders are much closer to ‘sealing the deal’ when they meet again in just under 80 days time.
His optimism is being fueled, in part, by the successful outcome of a crucial round-table meeting he co-chaired earlier in the week with the British Prime Minister.
Financing was one of the main issues discussed during the round-table meeting, and President Jagdeo said participants, having recognised that climate change is the pre-eminent geopolitical and economic issue of the 21st Century, acknowledged that it would take as much as, and maybe even more, US$100B to fight the impacts at this point in time. Read more....
Correcting the PNC misconception!
PNC/R: for the President to be granted a third term in office, the Opposition would first have to agree to this and this will not happen.
GCFJTT: Does the PNC have more power than the people of Guyana? We are of the opinion, along with a sizeable portion of the business community, that the issue of a third term for President Jagdeo should be put to the people via a referendum. It should not be left to the illegitimate and unwanted leadership of the PNC to be determined. Since President Jagdeo’s rise to the political stage Guyana has now become a country of worth and a rapidly developing one. We have moved from the “Knowledge Sharing Institute” for basic food items, to constant progress in every aspect of Guyana’s development.
THIS MUST CONTINUE!
We also wish to remind you that Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves spoke on the issue while in Guyana for the 30th Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government and had declared that he supported ending term limits in the region as good leaders are in short supply in the Caribbean.
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