PPP says Hoyte's statements libelous Guyana Chronicle March 31, 2000 THE People's Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday said it has been advised that main opposition leader, Mr Desmond Hoyte's statements attacking Government Ministers are libelous. "The PPP has been advised that Hoyte's statements are libelous, but highly predictable, judging from his present condition," the party said in a statement. "The PPP would have treated with amusement Desmond Hoyte's public ritual of cussing Government ministers except that these frolics are a sad commentary on the level to which a former President of the Republic has sunk," it added. The party was referring to comments Hoyte made at a press conference this week that "it is obvious that the PPP regime is not willing to deal honestly and frontally with the issue of corruption in its ranks." He said that the public has become "more and more disgusted with the PPP's failure to act in well-established cases of fraud and other forms of corruption." But the PPP, in its statement, remarked that Hoyte must not believe that Guyanese have a short memory. "They know who is responsible for wrecking their country, and placing Guyana at the bottom of the development ladder in the Western Hemisphere. The PNC, everyone knows, saddled Guyana with corrupt dictatorship, rigged elections, assassination and racial and political discrimination." The PPP added that most Guyanese know that Hoyte is "a troubled man" who is trying to draw media attention to himself as a diversion from the challenge within his party ranks to his questionable leadership. "Hoyte is also trying to wake up from his spell of flirtation with the heroism of the dean of the crime gang, the late Linden London, and his more recent inspiration from the voice of a ghost tape. "The PPP hopes that the PNC membership would suspect that his behaviour could get worse as he faces a triple whammy of losing his third consecutive elections next year. Guyanese must be on guard against attempts by Hoyte to drum up tensions in the society as part of his political end-game," the party statement said.