WPA has presented the President with its own vision and ideas

Jun 20, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
The meeting between the Working Peoples Alliance and President Granger arising out of the President’s decision to reassign Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine to another Ministerial portfolio took place on Saturday June 17 at State House. The WPA thinks that it was a very useful meeting, as it allowed the party to engage the President and his team on burning issues of concern to our party. We raised a range of concerns with the President and his team and in the circumstances tried to be as frank as we could.The President responded to our concerns and introduced some of his own. WPA feels that the meeting was cordial and fraternal.
On the issue of the reassignment of Dr. Roopnaraine, WPA reiterated that while it does not question the President’s right to determine where in the cabinet Ministers are asked to serve, the fact that we are part of a partnership and coalition and that the minister in question is an Executive Member of the WPA, it would have been prudent and respectful to consult with us before making a decision. WPA repeats that its first knowledge of the imminent move was when the President met with Mr. Desmond Trotman on Monday June 12, one day before the formal announcement.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of the Presidency following the meeting with the WPA and the President, the latter appears to be sticking to the view that the WPA was consulted on the Roopnaraine reassignment. WPA respectfully disagrees with the President’s notion of consultation in this instance. For us, consultation constitutes active engagement prior to decision making. We cannot accept that notification of a decision after it has been made amounts to consultation. However, we hope that in the future, we can find common ground on this matter.
WPA used the opportunity at the meeting to relay to the President our belief that government and not parties should govern. Hence the WPA has no desire to interfere with the day-to-day business of government. It is however, our firm view that as a partner in the Coalition, we should play a meaningful role in shaping the general vision and program that inform the direction of the government. In this regard, we suggested to the President and his team some areas in which we feel the WPA has an immediate interest in helping to shape thinking and policy.
In particular, WPA expressed the view that the transition to a Green State cannot be actualized outside of the decriminalization of the current state apparatus. This is critical for us in the WPA since it is our view that the nature of the state is an important aspect of national development. Other areas touched on during the meeting were the Sugar and Rice Industries, the imminent Oil Economy, Social Cohesion, and the Education Sector.
WPA feels that the most important outcome of the meeting is the decision to hold an APNU meeting on July 22nd, 2017. We see this as a major breakthrough, since the APNU has not met for almost two years. It is our view that much of the discontent and concerns arise out of the failure of the APNU to function. WPA hopes to further press its case for a deepening of relations and meaningful participation within the APNU and the broader coalition at this meeting.
WPA was represented at the meeting by Dr. Clive Thomas, Dr. David Hinds, Dr. Wazir Mohammed, Dr. Rishi Thakur, Ms. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Mr. Desmond Trotman, Mr. Tacuma Ogunseye, Mr. Jinnah Rahaman and Mr. Ali Majeed.
Tabitha Sarabo-Halley
WPA Chairperson

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