The leadership of the opposition People’s Progressive Party is defending what appears to be its boycott of Guyana’s largest Trade Fair and Exposition, GuyExpo.
The event started on Thursday and ended on Sunday night at the Sophia Exhibition site. It focused on promoting Guyanese businesses and creating links for international trade. The PPP has been criticisng the government for not doing enough to support local businesses.
Party General Secretary Clement Rohee denied on Monday that himself, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and other PPP Members of Parliament had intentionally stayed away from the event. Rohee said PPP leaders and MPs were busy doing political work across the country.
“When you are in Opposition you have to work hard to get back in government… what I know is that these Members are all over the country, we have to work hard from now to get back in government,” he said.
The General Secretary confirmed that invitations were sent to all Members of Parliament. GuyExpo opened last Thursday, immediately after a sitting of the National Assembly where almost all of PPP Members of Parliament, including Mr. Jagdeo present.
While government MPs turned out in their numbers, Rohee said the opposition members had to attend to other activities and commitments.
“We use our weekends politically to go all over the country and talk to our supporters and try to win back people who are still wavering, we have thank you meeting going on in terms of the local government elections, so we are busy people,” he added.
When asked whether he considered GuyExpo an appropriate place to also meet and greet the electorate, Rohee agreed. “Of course it was but people have their own priorities on whether they should go or spend their time elsewhere.”
The PPP GS said the party leadership had made it optional for MPs to attend these functions and were not preventing members or MPS from attending.
After the opening of GuyExpo on Thursday and the media reports that followed, Jagdeo issued a statement in which he criticized President David Granger for aspects of his address.
Although absent, the former President accused Mr. Granger of using a forum conceived and designed to attract investment to deliver a most counterproductive and anti- investment speech.
Mr. Granger had said that the investment regime which is currently in place was too generous and promised that his Government will reduce these concessions.
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