Last Updated on Monday, 30 April 2018, 18:09 by Denis Chabrol
The Ministry of the Presidency (MotP) will on Wednesday launch the Commemorative Centenary Stamp of the birth anniversary of former President and co-founder of the Peoples Progressive Party—the late Dr. Cheddi B. Jagan.
The activity however, will be run off without the PPP, since according to the party’s General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, his party has not been invited.
Jagdeo when contacted today told Demerara Waves, the party is in fact unaware of the planned MotP activity to commemorate the late Jagan and was only apprised through this publication’s query.
“This is the first time I am hearing (this), the PPP has not been invited,” Jagdeo said.
When told of an invitation issued to the media by MotP for coverage of the activity, Jagdeo responded, “the PPP has not been invited…as General Secretary ( of the PPP) I have not seen an invitation.”
The PPP’s General Secretary and Leader of the Parliamentary Political Opposition told Demerara Waves, his party will as such not be attending, even if an invitation were to be proffered at the 11th hour tomorrow—a Holiday, Labour Day.
“Obviously they don’t want us there,” Jagdeo reasoned and pointed to the holiday.
The PPP General Secretary, its effective leader, said he does not hold the view the political party founded by Jagan would be missing out in anyway by not participating in the event.
He told Demerara Waves, “the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (had) set up an activity at which I spoke to launch the stamp, they denied the people the opportunity to do so, then (President David) Granger launches it himself and haven’t even invited us.”
MotP in March last nixed plans by the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) and the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, to issue the centenary commemorative stamps, saying national symbols would be announced at a subsequent time, to commemorate the lives of both Jagan, and Late President, Arthur Chung—Guyana’s first President.
This MotP at the time said, will be done “within the content of set criteria for honouring eminent Guyanese. “
The move by the Granger administration had set off a a political fall-out with the PPP an the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre alleging political interference.
MotP in a public missive at the time maintained, “President David Granger said that the Cabinet has taken a Decision that the Commemorative Stamps which are national symbols, must adhere to national criteria….(national) symbols must not be used for private, partisan or political messages, but ought to be used for national purposes.”
This year marks the centennial birth anniversaries of both Presidents Jagan and Chung.
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