Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, blasts Second Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo for acting in a partisan manner on the Venezuela/Guyana controversy.
The International Court of Justice last Thursday ruled it has the jurisdiction to proceed hearing into the substantive case brought by Guyana.
In a blistering statement Friday Norton says at a time when all of Guyana needs to be united against Venezuela, it is worrying Second Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is using the opportunity to transform the Guyana/Venezuela territorial controversy into a partisan political issue. Such an approach to this serious problem, he says, undermines Guyana’s national interest and should be brought to an immediate end.
“The Second Vice President is knowledgeable that since the APNU+AFC was in government, the money from the Signing Bonus was being used to pay the legal team. It is therefore disingenuous for him to contend that the Signing Bonus had nothing to do with Guyana’s success at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).”
Jagdeo’s dishonest comments on the Signing Bonus are divisive and do our national interest harm, Norton says.
Promising to deal with the issue of the Signing Bonus later Norton says he finds it foolhardy Jagdeo will sacrifice the Government and Opposition unity and solidarity on the Guyana/Venezuela territorial controversy at the altar of his personal and partisan interests. “His actions confirm that he does not have the interest of Guyana and our people at heart.” To this end he is urging President Ali to implore Jagdeo to desist from dividing Guyanese on “this very important national issue that necessitates unity,” stating he sincerely hopes that good sense prevails.
