President Dr Irfaan Ali has once again reiterated his willingness to engage the Opposition, but argued that this responsibility needed to be shared by the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, who has so far refused to be cordial with the Head of State.
The Guyanese Leader’s remarks come on the heels of outgoing United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, during an interview with a local newspaper, urging the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government and the People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Opposition to talk.
On the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, President Ali was asked about whether he intended to reach out to the Opposition. In response, the Head of State pointed out that he has engaged Norton on matters that he was required to, and it was the Opposition Leader who has not reciprocated the willingness to engage.
“We must be able to ‘call a spade a spade’. This is a man who tried to stop consultations by going to court; who refuses to shake the President’s hand. This is a man who cannot find it convenient to apologise to this country for trying to rig an election. This is a man who is part of a process that tried to derail democracy and put our country in a very, very negative light globally.”
“And here is a President, who is working to regain international trust and position our country to be one of the leaders in the world. So, we cannot be inconvenient. If the Leader of the Opposition comes here in front of me now, again, I will stretch my hand to shake his hand… The Leader of the Opposition can pick up the phone tomorrow and call me, and I will speak to him,” the Guyanese Leader posited.
The handshake incident President Ali was referencing occurred in August 2022, when Norton refused to shake his hand at an Emancipation Day event in New Amsterdam, Berbice.
Norton had later told his support base that he did not shake hands with his oppressors.
There was another incident at the British High Commissioner’s residence where Ali and Norton shook hands, but the Opposition Leader later told the public that he was bullied in shaking the President’s hands.
According to Ali, the burden is being placed on solely him to reach out to Norton. He disclosed that during Joseph Harmon’s tenure as Opposition Leader, they would constantly have engagements on important development issues and even exchanged ideas.
Moreover, the Head of State noted that many members of the Opposition would call him on a daily basis and they would engage in meaningful discussions.
“This is a Leader of the Opposition who doesn’t have the basic decency to shake the hands of the President… I tried twice to shake the man’s hands and he refused, and now you telling me I must try again. Why he can’t try? Because it’s inconvenient for the narrative for him to try, but the convenient narrative is that the President is not meeting him… It is inconvenient for the truth which is the Leader of the Opposition has no interest in meeting with the President,” Ali stated.
He went on to outline that engagements between political leaders should not only be in the public domain, rather, it should be a means to build and nurture relationships as well as building trust.
“Engagement is not only a public spectacle. Engagement is how you build that relationship, how you build that trust, how you nurture that trust and that is what is critical. If you can’t shake hands, how can you build that trust. Here is a President who is trying to go beyond you trying to keep him out of office by undemocratic means… to try to shake your hands and you refuse… My hand is ready for friendship,” the President stated.
Nevertheless, the Guyanese Leader further stressed that his engagement with the Opposition was not dependent on any individual, but was with the people at the grassroot level. He added too that he would continue to fulfil his mandate as outlined in the Constitution and by the rule of law.
“Whatever is required of me in the execution of my duty to fulfill my responsibility in keeping with the Constitution, my life blood would ensure that occurs… My engagement with [the Opposition] as individuals, as a collective, as people of Guyana is not dependent on an individual. I will execute whatever is required of me in the Constitution in consultation with everyone the Constitution requires me to. But the Leader of the Opposition’s attitude and his demeanour towards me would not in any way, shape, or form influence my attitude to the people of Guyana,” the Head of State noted.
