By Staff Writer
As citizens continue to tussle with the debilitating effects of COVID-19, the country is being faced with opposing assertions from political players about the inclusionary management of the pandemic. Yesterday, Opposition parliamentarians said that they were being deliberately barred by the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) from participating and accessing pertinent information relative to COVID-19. However, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has refuted those claims, saying that the body, does indeed, comprise the opposition, government, security forces, regulatory agencies, religious bodies and the private sector.
Former Education Minister, Dr Nicolette Henry told the Guyana Standard yesterday that the government is running a solo-act and every attempt made by the main Parliamentary Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) to participate is shot down.
Those sentiments were also shared by the former Health Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Karen Cummings, who referenced the PPP/C’s establishment of a “parallel” taskforce in March 2020 in the height of pandemic fears following Guyana’s confirmation of its first imported infection.
Dr Cummings said that the establishment of this force “illustrates” the PPP/C’s inability to work collectively. She alluded to the PPP/C’s squandering of a unique opportunity to unite opposing political players to battle COVID-19 and to show the citizenry that despite the political rivalry, parties can unite for a common good.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Ganesh Mahipaul bemoaned the supposed data dearth to allow parties to “arrive at conclusions” and to keep their over 218,000 electorates properly informed. 
But the NCTF has since branded those assertions as “misleading and inaccurate”.
“These patently false statements could only be construed as an attempt to score cheap political points out of a global health crisis. The NCTF comprises members of the government, opposition, security forces, regulatory agencies, religious bodies and private sector. Specifically, the Regional Chairpersons of all 10 administrative Regions, including Regions Four, Seven and Ten, which are controlled by the APNU-AFC, are members of the Task Force.
Additionally, the NCTF is supported by the Regional Task Forces which are chaired by the Regional Chairmen of the respective regions and include RDC councilors from both Government and Opposition. No group, agency or stakeholder has ever been denied the opportunity to participate or have their issues addressed by the Task Force,” the NCTF said in a statement earlier today.
Notably, the NCTF said it remains open to contribution from any interest group, expressing its intention to remain committed to working with all stakeholders to promote public education and immunization, while enforcing the COVID-19 guidelines and protocols towards the reduction and elimination of the virus in Guyana.
“The NCTF, therefore, condemns these baseless and mischievous statements by the opposition. We urge all stakeholders to assume a more positive, responsible and mature role in support of the national efforts to tackle this global pandemic. This health crisis should not be used for political grandstanding.”
