PNC/R Parliamentarian and Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Raphael Trotman, recently called on the Government to retract statements it had made in describing certain actions of the PNC/R, including that party's failure to commit itself to the work of the Parliament.

But Luncheon said he was not certain that remarks by Trotman may adequately reflect the situation that led to the Administration labelling the PNC/R's behaviour and elements within the party as engaging in terroristic notions.

He said, too, that the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration is not interested in forging bilateral ties with the main Opposition party, solely at the risk of ignoring those forms of behaviour.

"The administration could hardly claim to be interested in forging better bilateral ties with the main Opposition party solely at the risk of ignoring those forms of behaviour," he said.

Luncheon pointed out that very few administrations in the modern world would ever sacrifice public safety and ignore threats to governance and democracy.

No administration would use such threats to form the basis for an enduring and a bilaterally and mutually rewarding relationship, he added.

"A compromise on that issue is not on the table," he declared.

According to him, it is the administration's intention to publicise each and every opportunity that presents itself where one can specifically identify the PNC/R organisation or members discharging terroristic behaviour.

The public would then be asked whether they sanction that behaviour, he added.

"The PNC/R, we insist, must publicly repudiate and incessantly repudiate this form of behaviour," Luncheon said.

"It is the Administration's contention that their (the PNC/R) denial needs to be buttressed by concrete steps and action in disassociating themselves from those sources," he added.

PNC/R General Secretary, Mr. Oscar Clarke yesterday told the Chronicle that the "terroristic statements" by Luncheon and the Government against the PNC/R are "ridiculous" and should be immediately withdrawn followed by an apology.

"It should be withdrawn immediately; Dr. Luncheon, as the top Government spokesman, should have known better than to accuse the PNC of being terroristic when in the same breath calling for dialogue between the party (PNC/R) and the Government," Clarke said in a telephone comment.

"He should immediately withdraw those statements...and apologise to the party," he added.

The PPP, in a statement over the weekend, said it is now quite clear that the steps taken by the Administration in labelling the actions and statements by certain elements in the PNC/R, and the propaganda by certain talk show hosts as "terroristic" and "anti-police", have again been given credibility.

According to the governing alliance, a pamphlet is now being widely circulated, headed 'FIVE FOR FREEDOM' and "its contents are purely terroristic and anti-police".

The PPP said this follows another pamphlet that called the five wanted bandits/murderers "freedom fighters" which originated from the violent PNC/R organised Buxton, East Coast Demerara march last month.

It noted that the pamphlet issues the ominous threat that with immediate effect, Government officials, all Police ranks and their families are now classified as 'TARGETS'.

The genesis of the current controversy' over the `terroristic statements' made by the Government against the PNC/R was at a news conference on April 16 when Luncheon charged that the anti-Police policy "being proposed, publicised and promoted" by the PNC/R was "terroristic".