A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) will join with the Alliance For Change (AFC) in the National Assembly today in a bid to utilise its one-seat majority to adopt a motion of no-Confidence against Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee in the wake of the killing of three Linden protesters by police last Wednesday.
And Leader of the Opposition David Granger said at a press conference yesterday that while President Donald Ramotar has made a first step in the right direction by meeting representatives of the Linden community in the city, it is not enough.
Speaking at an AFC press conference yesterday, Khemraj Ramjattan said that the party intends to move ahead with its motion in Parliament today. “The motion is in draft. We intend to give the Speaker that draft. We do not know the draft of the APNU’s motion but I rather suspect it’s going to be in similar terms,” said Ramjattan.
“As to whether we are going to meet the time-requirement for motions of that nature because some can be given without notice would be a thing the Speaker (Raphael Trotman) would have to decide,” he said.
“Even if it is not ready for tomorrow, we are quite prepared for the following Wednesday and Thursday to deal with that motion,” he said.
Speaking on the possible collaboration on a single motion at tomorrow’s sitting, Granger said that the APNU did attend meetings with the AFC and the parties are of a mind to have a single motion instead of two. He said that it was a pity it took the deaths of three persons for President Ramotar to meet the people of Linden in a bid to address their economic and other concerns.
Granger said that APNU will today mount a rally at the Square of the Revolution, conduct a picketing exercise at the Office of the President and hold a vigil again at the Square of the Revolution later this evening to commemorate the atrocity. “APNU also calls on Guyanese everywhere to support the protest,” he said.
“APNU calls, further, for an urgent solution to the economic, political and security crisis in the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region,” he said
He called on President Ramotar to immediately meet and remain in communication with, the Regional Democratic Council and other stakeholders of Linden.
“The Government of Guyana should cancel any increase to the electricity tariff in Linden. The Government of Guyana should commit resources to implement a serious regional economic recovery programme. The Government of Guyana should introduce a menu of measures to address the environmental, broadcasting, health and other problems plaguing the Region,” Granger said.
He reiterated that an independent commission of inquiry must be convened to investigate the killing and injuring of persons on Wednesday July 18, 2012.
“Compensation must be paid to the families of the deceased and to the victims of the shooting,” he said.
“APNU iterates its call to the PPP/C administration to acknowledge that there is an economic crisis in the Region. A Partnership for National Unity will continue to work towards resolving the crisis in the Region,” he said.
