‘Do what’s right!’

─ President Ali to Opposition Leader  

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, today, said Opposition Leader, Mr. Joseph Harmon needs to “do what is right in the interest of the country.”

The Opposition Leader has been denying the legitimacy of the PPP/C Government, obstructing talks between the two parties, almost three months after the General and Regional Elections.

President Ali has said unless the APNU+AFC leadership recognises his Government as legitimate, there will be no talks. 

“I cannot hold talks with someone who believes that I am illegitimate. I have been speaking about issues regarding our country with the population. I have a duty to speak to the population, and that is what I am going to do,” the Head of State told journalists earlier today. 

Though unsuccessful at the March 2 polls, the APNU+AFC Coalition has been claiming victory.

A five-month long election impasse saw the intervention of the regional and international community, which all called on the David Granger administration to accept defeat and step down. 

“The fact of the matter is that we have a legitimately elected Government and the Opposition Leader needs to get on board and do what’s right morally, ethically,” President Ali said. 

The President said the Opposition Leader must understand that he could not act in the way he had in the five months following the elections, “when our country was dragged through an undemocratic path [….] You have a President who is willing and ready to work with all of Guyana.”

The President made these statements following the swearing-in ceremony of regional and deputy regional chairpersons at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.