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Responding to a June 23 statement on television by PNC/R Chairman, Mr. Robert Corbin, he said this was another indication of the PNC/R's ambivalence regarding the continuation of the dialogue process.
The People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government remains committed to the dialogue process in the interest of the nation, Persaud said in a statement.
He suggested that Corbin "would do well to update himself on the progress made on the various areas of agreement, in spite of the `pause' position adopted by his party's Central Executive Committee."
The Opposition party in March this year halted the dialogue President Jagdeo started more than a year ago with PNC/R leader, Mr. Desmond Hoyte because of perceived differences with the Government.
Persaud said that Corbin's claim of non-response to a Hoyte letter of May 14, 2002 to President Jagdeo regarding the appointment of the Sectoral and Parliamentary Management Committees is simply an issue of unnecessary formality.
"Mr Hoyte's May 14, 2002 letter was merely a response to President Jagdeo's invitation of May 09, 2002 for them to meet", he said.
He said that Corbin, if he had checked with Mr. Lance Carberry, the PNC/R Chief Whip, would have learnt that Minister Reepu Daman Persaud, at the behest of President Jagdeo, made repeated efforts to contact Carberry and finally made a formal request in writing for a meeting.
"As Mr. Carberry failed once more to attend a meeting, Minister Persaud wrote again on June 14, 2002 stating `...it is unfortunate that you were not available to meet on Monday June 3, 2002 and on Friday June 7, 2002. You undertook to call me on Tuesday, June 11. Not hearing from you, I called on Wednesday, June 12. In the circumstances, I wish to propose another date - Monday June 17, 2002...'", the official recalled.
He said that in the context of Carberry's refusal to meet Minister Persaud, President Jagdeo on June 18, 2002 advised Mr. Hoyte about those difficulties, taking the step of formally notifying him again of his willingness to meet.
The President's Information Liaison argued that the demand by the PNC/R Central Executive Committee for the retraction by the PPP/C administration of the statement "the PNC/R is a terrorist organisation and by implication the PNC/R leaders are terrorists" as the basis for a resumption of the dialogue, reflects the "poverty of commitment of the PNC/R to the future of this nation."
"This new demand is just another in a long string of demands to avoid having a resumption of dialogue", Persaud charged.
He suggested that Corbin should have instead used his June 23 statement on television to condemn the terrorising of hundreds of innocent Guyanese on the streets, the acts of criminality, the circulation of odious and threatening handbills, and the inflammatory speeches made by his leader and others, including him.