So said President Bharrat Jagdeo when asked about his position on the status of the Constructive Engagement Process between himself and the Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin.

The President was at the time being interviewed by NCN’s Editor-in-Chief Wilfred Cameron at his State House Residence on current issues of national interest.

The President and the Opposition Leader embarked on the Constructive Engagement Process in May 2003, but their last meeting was in September 2003. Corbin has since called a halt to his meetings with the President citing the President’s non-removal from office of Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj as his main reason for doing so.

According to President Jagdeo, both himself and Corbin have since had meetings with the Independent Monitoring Mechanism, which comprise the donor community.

“My position is that the agreements that we made should move forward. I said to my staff that they should work overtime to ensure that the commitments we made are kept and that the Constitutional Process move forward,” he said.

The Head of State noted that should the need arise for himself and Corbin to meet, then he is “open, not for photo opportunities, but for serious engagements on issues of national concerns.”

On this note, the President urged all parties to “stop putting our selfish ambitions many times before the interest of the people of this country, and we should not be making every issue political.”

Earlier, Government had contended that the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) is frustrating the Constructive Engagement Process by its selective delaying tactics.

In this regard, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees, the Public Accounts and the Parliamentary Management Committee, are among those which are conducting business as usual.

However, the PNCR participation at other Parliamentary fora is less principled, and a review of the recent PNCR participation in other aspects of the constructive engagement is discouraging.

Bilateral meetings at the level of the High Representatives and the Leaders, are not being held. The PNCR leader is yet to respond to President Jagdeo's invitation to consult on the reconstitution of the important Integrity Commission.

The situation is somewhat better at the level of the Bipartisan Task Forces where some activity is evident.