No excuse for absence of National delegation for Mandela’s Funeral- NAR

Dec 10, 2013 News

It is regrettable that the actions of Ramotar and his government go contrary to everything Mandela stood for and fought against.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday opened to the public, a Book of Condolences for those desirous of paying last respects to the late phenomenal world leader, Nelson Mandela.
The book is available to the public at APNU’s Hadfield Street office, between 9:00 – 18: 00hrs daily.
Many persons affixed their signature to the book yesterday including Opposition Leader, David Granger, City Mayor Hamilton Green, Deputy Mayor, Patricia Green, former Mayor Ranwell Jordan, APNU’s Mark Archer and Members of Parliament Christopher Jones and Joseph Harmon.

David Granger as he signs.

Members of the party however expressed displeasure with President Donald Ramotar’s decision to attend Mandela’s funeral unaccompanied by any opposition member.
Member of Parliament Christopher Jones told Kaieteur News, “It is a total disappointment how our boy just up and went by himself…The same PPP that objected when Burnham helped Africa financially now wait till Mandela dead to behave like they were buddy friends.”
Joseph Harmon told reporters that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government should take a page out of the book of the Trinidad and Tobago Government, which invited its Opposition Leader to be part of the delegation representing the people of Trinidad.
Meanwhile, the North American Region (NAR) of the Peoples’ National Congress Reform (PNCR) issued a release bemoaning the fact that President Ramotar decided “to use a most dignified and somber occasion to exhibit divisive posture at a time the world is celebrating the life of a most magnanimous and unifying world leader. Guyanese at home and abroad woke-up on Sunday morning to learn that President Ramotar and his PPP/C friends secretly boarded a flight and headed off to South Africa.”
The statement said that NAR recognizes Mandela’s struggles and salutes his determination and fight for a free South Africa, where bitterness, hatred and oppression are removed from the minds of the leaders and the people. “NAR believes that Mandela’s struggle remains relevant to Guyanese today.”
“It is regrettable however; that the actions of Ramotar and his government go contrary to everything Mandela stood for and fought against. At a time when the world is honoring a man whose life epitomized unity, peace, courage and humility, the PPP/C government decides to use the world’s stage to tout its national policy of division.”
“The PPP/C government continues to act in ways which seem to mirror a new form of oppression by a minority government. There can be no excuse for not having a small national delegation, which represents the people of Guyana, travel to South Africa to pay reverence to a man who changed the world forever. Why is the Leader of the Opposition not in this “Guyanese delegation”? It is no secret that Burnham and the PNC Government led the Caribbean nations when it comes to support for Nelson Mandela’s fight against apartheid. At the scorn and protest by the PPP, the PNC Government mustered financial and other resources to support the fight against the unthinkable oppression which targeted Black South Africans. President Ramotar and the PPP/C are well aware of this fact. It is sad, however, that they seem incapable of rising above their shadow of the past and taking a page out of Mandela’s book. Is there no shame? When will leaders demonstrate leadership? It is time Guyanese people stand up and demand better leadership which promotes respect and support all,” the release stated.