Demonstrations do not win elections - this is the view of Peter Ramsaroop, a founder member of the Reform grouping which aligned itself with the People's National Con-gress to fight the last general elections 2001.

Ramsaroop who was in Guyana for a brief business visit made it clear that the Reform grouping which has three members in the opposition in the National Assembly is not a part of the PNC but a separate entity. "We have our own leader, who is Mr. Stanley Ming," he explained.

Ramsaroop was a guest on the interview programme "One-on-One" which is broadcast every Sunday night at 8 pm on NCN (National Communications Network), formerly GTV.

Emphasising the Reform's motto when it became involved in politics, "Making a Difference", the businessman-politician said he personally does not support demonstrations, adding that the role of the opposition should be to work with the government in power while showing respect for each other's views and ideas.

He criticised the stance taken by the PNCR in walking out of parliament, noting that it is better to remain and work to bring about changes rather than not participating and getting your points of view across.

He also spoke about the small hardcore factions that exist in both the People's Progressive Party and the People's National Congress. This old political infrastructure restricts the ability of the President of the country to deal firmly with certain issues after getting the approval of the Cabinet, he contended.