The official opening ceremony of Linden Town Week 2012 yesterday was one with a difference as residents circled the area and walked through the audience with placards protesting over a number of issues in particular the controversial proposed removal of the subsidy for electricity in Region 10.
While those given time to make brief remarks did the usual of congratulating the town on its 42nd anniversary, the greater part of their remarks addressed the political squabble between the government and the opposition. Linden residents have launched a series of protests over the government’s announcement in the 2012 budget that the Linden electricity subsidy will be gradually removed.
It was a show of collaboration and unity of political parties yesterday as the AFC joined residents who mainly represented APNU in the protest which lasted for approximately two hours.
The absence of Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who was on the programme was noted. “We wanted to show Sam Hinds that he was not welcome here anymore, but he smell deh rat.” said one protester.
PPP/C Linden member and chairman of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Development (LCCID) Courtney Handy was heckled and booed off the stage as he attempted to call on leader of APNU David Granger to give answers to the reported “sell out of Linden” on the issue of the tariff.
He called on the leaders to be honest to residents and was greeted with the remark from the crowd, “You got to do the same.”
“Read my lips A Partnership for National Unity has not entered an agreement for the hike of electricity rate … Anyone who says otherwise is a liar”, Granger said, adding that while residents are speaking for themselves APNU is hearing their voices.
“We will not let you down” was his parting words to residents at the opening ceremony. APNU came under pressure from Linden residents who were incensed over reports that it had struck a deal with the government over the tariffs. Hinds had stated in Parliament that the gradual rise in tariffs would begin July but APNU has since said there was no such agreement.
In what was seen as a swipe at APNU, AFC’s Nigel Hughes who spoke ahead of Granger, challenged residents to take up the responsibility of speaking for themselves and argued that any negotiation for issues affecting the region must have someone from the community as part of the representing or negotiating body.
“Long gone are the days when somebody must speak for you, Linden must speak for itself”, said Hughes, a statement which was received with loud cheers and applause.
In his address to the audience Regional Chairman Kuice Sharma Solomon said that “…the people of Linden and Region 10 possess a strength of mind which cannot be broken.” He contended that the strength of mind of the people of Linden was not broken when the decline of the bauxite industry came.
“While we prepare to celebrate Guyana’s second largest town’s glorious history, we face once again yet another threat to our peace of mind and way of life.”
Solomon said that the 2012 budget was a cause for grave concern to residents of Region 10. “We note with concern issues and items within the budget which we feel will have a stagnating effect on Region 10’s plans for economic recovery,” said Solomon.
He challenged the argument put forward by some sections of the public that if the rest of the nation is paying one rate, so too should Region 10.
The programme which went well into the night was one that could be described as colourful with a range of cultural activities, honouring of the town’s top students by Digicel Guyana and the Linden Mayor and Town Council, the presentation of a sponsor’s cheque to the committee by Banks DIH and the parading of the plus size women who are set to take centre stage tomorrow evening at the MSC ground for the Big and Bold fashion Show.
