PSC invites parties to discuss “hostile political climate”

The country’s leading private sector umbrella body has invited the three major political parties to discuss what it termed as an “increasing hostile and confrontational political climate”.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) on May 11, 2018, dispatched letters to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) for individual high-level meetings with executives of the business community.

News Room understands that the PSC plans on meeting each party separately as it is concerned that it may not be fruitful if all political representatives sit at the same table.

According to a statement from the Commission Monday, it is “conscious of the dangerously deleterious and harmful impact of the increasingly hostile and confrontational political climate between our parliamentary parties.”

The PSC said this political climate can bring about serious harm to the country’s international image, economic stability and future wellbeing.

News Room understands that none of the political parties has responded to the invitations.

The local political war in recent days has reached the level of the judiciary where charges are being filed against political opponents.

The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) had filed criminal charges of misconduct in public office against former Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and former Head of the Privatisation Unit Winston Brassington.

The PPP retaliated and filed private criminal charges against several government ministers.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has since dismissed the charges brought by the PPP but has allowed the charges against Dr Singh and Brassington to be heard in the Magistrate’s Court.