Jimmy Carter-driven political talks… Nagamootoo was sidelined because he is ‘lightweight’

Jimmy Carter-driven political talks… Nagamootoo was sidelined because he is ‘lightweight’ – PPP

Jul 24, 2018 News

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said yesterday, that its objection to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, leading the Government’s side in discussions with the Parliamentary Opposition is grounded in fact.

Head of the Carter Center, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, has reached out to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo and President David Granger in an effort to get A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Government and the Opposition to hold discussions on critical issues of national importance.

The PPP objected to Nagamootoo leading the talks, essentially engineering the sidelining of the Prime Minister. When Jagdeo and President Granger met on Thursday, the President committed to lead the talks instead.

“Nagamootoo has no portfolio; he is a lightweight in the current Coalition Government; and is in no position to make any commitments once engagements between the Parliamentary Opposition and the Government get underway – He cannot commit the APNU or the People’s National Congress (PNC) to anything,” the PPP outlined.

Writing in his ‘My Turn’ column in the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, the Prime Minister indicated that the talks are not about him. He stated that the talks are cardinal to finding a lasting political solution for Guyana.

“So I turned my face away from Jagdeo’s infantile tantrums. I let his insults pass. Instead, I welcomed the decision by President Granger to lead the Government team. That, for me, was a politically correct move from which Jagdeo would be unable to wriggle out. For me, I remain undaunted. Old people say that the elephant keeps on walking in spite of the yapping of poodles at its heel,” the Prime Minister wrote.

Addressing Jagdeo’s ‘infantile tantrums’, Nagamootoo explained that when he saw the Opposition Leader sauntering gleefully into Parliament Chambers last Thursday, he thought that he had some good words to share after his meeting with President Granger.

The Prime Minister wrote, “Instead, he swiped his neck with his right index finger, motioning that someone had cut my throat. Two of his cohorts, basking in radiant smiles, mumbled to me, “We threw you under de bus.”

The PPP rejected this as a blatant and absurd lie.

The Prime Minister stated that he found out later that the Opposition Leader had disclosed at the meeting that he would not attend talks if the Prime Minister remained head of the government side.

“President Granger volunteered to lead the government’s delegation to these talks. Jagdeo walked away with a pyrrhic victory, that he had sidelined me,” Nagamootoo stated.

According to the PPP, Nagamootoo is desperately searching for sympathy by peddling his distortions.