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Differing opinions expressed on GMSA’s role in PPP/C “ambush” on President

Sep 21, 2019 News

Central Executive Committee member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Gary Best, is accusing members of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) of aiding and abetting the opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), in “ambushing” President David Granger at the GMSA’s business luncheon hosted Thursday at the Pegasus Hotel.
During the PNCR’s weekly press briefing, Best stated that, “It is clear that this entire thing was orchestrated by the GMSA in an attempt to embarrass the President.”
On Thursday, some 300 protestors and supporters of the opposition, PPP/C, gathered outside of the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. Some PPP/C officials, among them Bishop Juan Edghill, were in the Savannah Suite, where the luncheon was being hosted. He and other PPP/C supporters sat peacefully as onlookers. The placards they eventually unveiled were apparently concealed in their jackets.
President Granger had described the outside protests as “hooliganism” while he made his speech. And Edghill responded by shouting, “What is hooliganism?” before the commotion erupted.
Best, who is a former army Chief of Staff, was keen to note that, “In our view, the protest was orchestrated to embarrass the President, and to create a platform for the PPP to further embarrass this government. The party’s position is that the [PPP/C] behaved like hooligans. They conducted themselves like hooligans outside of the event”.
When questioned about what evidence he possessed that would support his claims, Best responded, “The proof is in the negligence that occurred. You are holding an event where the President… that His Excellency is going to be attending. One of the things that the GMSA should have done was to contact the security services. The GMSA should have ensured that there was safety and safe passageway for the people coming in”.
He went on to state that persons from the GMSA should have anticipated the protests. “The evidence is clear in what occurred. It is difficult for the party to believe that the GMSA had nothing to do with it.”
However, General Secretary of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Mr. David Patterson shared differing views on what took place during the GMSA luncheon. He said that he does not believe that the manufacturing and services association had anything to do with the protests that were staged.
Patterson said that when he attended the event, he was the “fourth or fifth person to be welcomed into the Savannah Suite”. He related that a few minutes later, he saw the opposition members enter.
“Their presence [there] was not unexpected, they’ve done it already. I indicated to the GMSA early that these guys were going to do that. So, it was not a question of if we were unaware of that. When you see a table of some of the likely comrades—Juan Edghill, Dharamlall, sitting down at one table you know what is to come.”
AFC Executive Committee member Catherine Hughes, who was also present at Friday’s press briefing, took the time to add to Patterson’s statements on the issue.
“I think what is important to note is that David Patterson might not have felt threatened, but there certainly were women, and two female ministers who felt very threatened.”
The GMSA has since apologised to President Granger for the protests staged against him.

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