APNU executive, Joseph Harmon yesterday defended the August 2 “outside date” for drafting the terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry that will probe the killing of three Linden protesters last week and said that the AFC will be invited to the next meeting.
Harmon told Stabroek News yesterday that APNU and the government held a preliminary meeting on Saturday and looked at some broad outlines as to what the enquiry should seek to achieve. He said that they agreed that both sides will re-engage their teams to formulate their concepts of what the terms of reference should be. It was also agreed that the AFC will be invited to the next meeting and the minutes of the first one will be sent to them so that they can be updated, he said. Harmon said that “within a day or two” the next meeting will be held and both sides are in telephone contact.
In relation to the August 2 “outside date” for drafting the terms of reference, Harmon said that people who criticize the date probably have their reasons for doing so but he emphasized that it was an outside date. “The important thing is that it has to be done quickly,” he said. “We don’t want to sacrifice the actual content of the document on the altar of expediency,” Harmon stressed adding that certain things have to be done including taking a Bill to the National Assembly under the Commission of Inquiry Act. “We have to get all of that done (by August 2),” he said.
Meanwhile, AFC executive, Cathy Hughes was critical of the time set for drafting the terms of reference and said that the party is not participating at the moment. “We are not participating in drawing up the elements of the terms of reference at this point in time,” she said. She added that if an international component is included, the party would be willing to participate since it is one of the things they feel strongly about.
She said that August 2 is too long and questioned whether in the two weeks the government and APNU were just going to discuss the TOR. She said that many things can be done during this time such as placing ads, calling on eyewitnesses to come forward and give statements as well as turn in evidence, among other things. “All these normal channels they could be doing, they’re doing nothing,” she exclaimed. “We’re wasting time,” she said.
Hughes noted that an international component would be objective and everyone will feel more comfortable and more readily endorse it. She suggested that it could be managed with the support of local people. She said that international input was necessary noting that there was never any suggestion of anyone else firing but the police. How can the police investigate itself, she asked. Further, she pointed to the track record of the Force and mentioned the investigation into the massacre at Lindo Creek. “We don’t think we have the capacity to do it ourselves,” she said.
Ron Somerset, 18; Shemroy Bouyea and Allan Lewis, 46, were the Linden protesters killed after police fired on the demonstrators in the mining town on Wednesday.
