The communiqué, signed by Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Robert Corbin, covers a range of issues to be resolved within specific time frames, including parliamentary and local government reform, the passage of broadcast legislation and equitable access to the state-owned media, among others.

But while President Jagdeo is reporting “good progress towards their implementation,” he is of the view that PNCR leader Corbin should give leadership to his party and not see the communique as a tactical issue to win elections but more of a strategic issue.

“A strategic issue to get the parties to trust each other and to learn to work with each other for the good of the country and not as a tactical issue to win elections. We do not see it as a tactical issue”, Jagdeo said.

The President was at the time responding to questions raised in an LRTVS 10 interview in New Amsterdam on Saturday on the implementation process and criticisms levelled against the PPP/C in a press statement issued by the PNCR on July 10. The statement referred to what it described as the “baseless attack by PPP/C General Secretary Donald Romotar on PNCR leader, Robert Corbin.” It also suggested that “it is not unknown that Jagdeo had problems selling the communiqué to certain elements in the PPP’s central committee.”

President Jagdeo, however, described the claim as “ridiculous because the communiqué focused heavily on things already agreed to since 2001. There are some people in the PNCR who make wild statements which do not assist in building trust. The PNCR should give support to the communiqué and not make statements that would undermine the process.”

Ramotar, he said, was merely responding to statements made by Corbin to party supporters recently attacking the Government and referring to the communiqué as a tactical issue. The opposition in its statement, however, asserted that it has “fully honoured its commitments in the communiqué.”

The Head of State said “we have to be mature enough to understand that criticisms should not derail a process that is good for the country. Criticisms must be factual, constructive and mature but is so often immature and blatant fabrication. Our differences must be policy-based, we must disagree on policy which would not breed this atmosphere of enmity.”

Responding to a claim by the opposition that the government had failed to develop a coherent human resource strategy for the country, Jagdeo said the opposition has long been accusing the government of three main things: being corrupt, discriminatory and of mismanaging the economy. “I am willing to take on the PNCR leader in a friendly debate to discuss these areas. I find it convenient that people would say we do not have a human resource strategy when we tabled a National Development Strategy before the National Assembly which includes all areas of development but the opposition refused to participate in the debate. How can you be more blinkered?” he remarked.

However Jagdeo said he did not want to be bogged down with the PNCR’s weekly propaganda conferences. “I want to look at major issues and initiatives that Mr. Corbin and I took that are leading the country forward, improving governance, strengthening democracy and are playing a greater role in having opposition voices heard in Parliament. These are the crucial issues for me.”

Asked about the state of the economy, Jagdeo explained that “we are still suffering from the depressed state of some of our commodity exports and this is why we are saying we need to go towards more value-added types of activities. Our diversified economy has allowed us to ride out this period better than most Caribbean countries. We have been able to keep the macro-economy stable despite this rough period, our exchange rate has remained relatively stable while interest rates have come down.”

Touching on the need to create more jobs, he posited that with the political climate improving and a reduction in crime “we can focus more on attracting investment and I have seen an upsurge in interest once again in investing in Guyana.”

The President, however, remains concerned about the performance of some Neighbourhood Democratic Council [NDC] officials who he described as “hopeless”, adding that they have been creating problems at the government level. “They are not performing and are arrogant and rude. We will take action against any person found guilty of corruption but it is sometimes more difficult to remove elected officials than those who are appointed,” he said.

Asked about the status of the proposed bridge across the Berbice River which formed part of his party’s elections campaign manifesto back in 1997, the Head of State said he is hopeful that work would eventually commence sometime next year. “A feasibility study has been launched and with the completion of that study we may get the Inter-American Development Bank [IDB] to use some US$1 million set aside under a loan to reconstruct the Mahaica and Mahaicony bridges to build a ten-mile long approach road to the site. The bridge is still high on my agenda and if it is not completed in this present term of office it will be substantially underway.”

Among some of the other issues raised with the President were the worrying state of the health sector in the region, the electricity situation, the cash-strapped New Amsterdam Town Council and the President’s Youth Choice Initiative projects.

During his two-day visit over the weekend to the region, the Head of State toured the burnt-out Pitt Street commercial site and commissioned three Youth Choice Initiative projects at Rose Hall, Port Mourant and Crabwood Creek.

He also addressed a Ballot Box martyrs remembrance rally at No. 63 Village, held a community meeting at Rose Hall, East Canje and met with cattle and rice farmers and fishermen on the Corentyne. He was accompanied by Ministers Satyadeow Sawh, Clinton Collymore and Shaik Baksh and a number of senior party officials including Regional Chairman, Kumkarran Ramdass.