The APNU+AFC Opposition did not wait around in the National Assembly for the President’s speech today. Instead, the Opposition MPs were joined by a small group of supporters on the outside to picket the President.

As the President made his way into the Arthur Chung Convention Center, some of the opposition members who were leaving shouted at him that “fraud is fraud”.

Opposition Leader Joe Harmon said the President and his statements cannot be taken seriously.

“We are here today to basically protest the statements which would be made by President Ali in the Parliament. In fact, you recall that we spent 133 days during last year recounting ballots that were cast at the 2nd March elections and it was in this where the fraud was discovered that benefited the PPP and that is the basis on which the PPP regime now exercises governance” Mr. Harmon said.

The Opposition Leader said the Government continues to refuse to consult with the Opposition on major national issues.

“We have a situation in which that regime has failed to recognize and fail to recognize the representative, the legitimate representative of over 217,000 persons whom we represent in that House and so that disrespect in which he has shown to us. If you disrespect me outside my house, then you cannot come into my house and disrespect me”, Harmon stated.

He said that he hopes that the petition that is before the Court will address all that was uncovered during the vote recount.

Some Opposition Members were prevented from leaving the compound of the Arthur Chung Convention Centre while others were locked out on the outside by the Police who claimed that they were following instructions.

Since taking office, the President has refused to consult with the Opposition Leader, claiming that he will only do so when the Opposition officially recognises him as President.

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