Pres. Granger, WPA’s Ogunseye differ over no APNU executive meeting

Last Updated on Friday, 22 May 2015, 21:05 by GxMedia

Tacuma Ogunseye

President David Granger and an Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) are at odds over the decision by the coalition’s leader not to call an executive meeting shortly after the electoral victory to discuss the way forward.

WPA Executive Member, Tacuma Ogunseye criticized Granger, as leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), for not calling an executive meeting despite several requests to do so.

“This failure to act on Mr. Granger’s part has taken place in spite of efforts by the WPA to have the APNU executive meet on these matters.

Further, the failure to initiate meeting/s of the APNU Executive has to be seen in the context of the WPA’s protracted efforts to have this critical decision making organ of the APNU function as it was intended to do, thereby facilitating the making of important decisions of the alliance,” said Ogunseye who had represented his party in APNU coalition talks with the Alliance For Change (AFC).

Granger said “I regret that no meeting is held”, but attributed that to the evolving situation following the victory by the APNU+AFC coalition at the May 11, 2011 elections. “It is true that no meeting was held because of the pace and pressure of other activities but a meeting has been scheduled. I am not sure when it will take place- hopefully this weekend or early next week,” the President said. He added that APNU usually has monthly meetings and one is scheduled before the end of May.

Ogunseye said he felt obligated as a political activist and as a member of the WPA’s leadership to voice his concern and dissatisfaction that President Granger in his capacity as the leader of the APNU, “did not and presumably, have not seen it fit to call a meeting of the APNUs executive members to discuss and reach an agreement on our post- election responsibilities.”

The President, however, noted that the WPA is represented in the person of Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine. He added that Mr. Keith Scott represents the National Front Alliance; Jaipaul Sharma the Justice For All Party and Sydney Allicock the Guyana Action Party.

The WPA Executive Member chided the President for failing to display “common courtesies and respect for comrades which civil political relations dictate, in this case was not followed. “Nowhere in the civilised world are parties, which are engaged in alliances with each other, are treated with such disdain,” he said.