Guyana has been through enough over the last 10 years with regard to leadership; one of the last things this country now needs is a Prime Minister who lacks mettleBy Abena Rockcliffe “One of the qualities of any good leader is mettle. Moreover, when someone decides that he or she wants toAPNU+AFC Co-Chair, Raphael Trotmanbe a part of a country’s leadership and hold the future of hundreds of thousands of citizens in his or her hands,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, that person must accept and embrace the fact that mettle is no longer just an asset, it is a necessity.”That is the sentiment expressed yesterday by A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Campaign Co-chair, Raphael Trotman as he responded to the reasons put forward by the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as why it’s Prime Ministerial (PM) candidate will not debate her counterpart.On Sunday, PPP/C issued a statement to the effect that it will not allow its PM Candidate, Elisabeth Harper to be involved in a political debate against APNU+AFC PM Candidate, Moses Nagamootoo and fear was the reason put forward for this decision.The Party expressed fear that Harper would be subjected to ‘disrespect.’The PPP/C noted that while it has accepted the invitation for a public Presidential debate from the Private Sector Commission, their decision to not entertain the Harper-Nagamootoo debate is final.The reason for this, it posited, is that there has been an ongoing campaign of vile attacks against women candidates of the PPP/C, especially towards Harper through the daily newspaper letters and articles being managed by the Opposition.While no mention was made of any particular article, the party said that it condemns the disrespectPPP/C Prime Ministerial Candidate, Elisabeth Harperbeing meted out to women in the public service and said that such news items show disregard to mothers, wives, and daughters who want to serve the country.Yesterday Trotman told Kaieteur News that the “excuse” put forward by the PPP is “ultra lame.”He added, “That excuse simply lacks merit. Anyone vying to be Prime Minster for Prime Ministerial position should at least have mettle.”The former Speaker of the National Assembly pointed to the fact, that Harper will have to act in the capacity as President any time Ramotar leaves the country if the PPP?C is returned to office. He then questioned “Why should Guyana have a Prime Minister who cannot handle a simple debate.”Trotman also told Kaieteur News that “Guyana has been through too much over the last 10 years with regards to leadership…one of the last things this country now needs is a Prime Minister who lacks mettle.”The coalition member made it clear that his comrade, Nagamootoo, had no interest in attacking Harper as he has enough ammunition to just focus on the real issues affecting Guyana and how APNU+AFC government will rid Guyana of such constraints.Trotman said, “This debate is not about Harper and her lifestyle; this is supposed to be a debate of substance.”APNU+AFC Vice-Presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan told Kaieteur News that? the PPP’s statements vindicated his previously reported position that the PPP is “scared to death” to have debates.Ramjattan added that the PPP is trying to be clever in that “they do not want the public to know how rotten and discredited the politicians are and that is one of the things that the debate would have revealed. I knew from the inception that they would have run away.”Also, APNU General Secretary,NFL Jerseys China, Joseph Harmon was reported yesterday in a section of the media as saying that the PPP is hiding Harper.He said that Harper cannot aspire for public office and subsequently make herself unavailable to such scrutiny from the public.“The PPP,Cheap NHL Jerseys, they are trying to foist persons who are incapable of dealing with public issues on public platforms,” said Harmon.The PPP emphasized on Sunday that its Presidential Candidate,Wholesale Jerseys China, Donald Ramotar, stands ready for a debate, but Harper is out of the question.However, the APNU+AFC has made its position clear on the matter that it must have double or nothing ; Harper versus Nagamootoo and Ramotar versus APNU+AFC’s Presidential Candidate,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, David Granger.Ramotar had said that Harper is quite capable of handling herself. The Head of State had even stated, “Nagamootoo is no match for Harper, I am sure Harper can account for herself.”The PPP/C, while accepting the Private Sector’s Presidential debate invitation,Cheap Jerseys, said nothing in its statement to the media about possible participation in the highly ant