Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon says that government will continue to engage in regular “constructive” discussions with the relevant stakeholders to resolve the unrest at Linden, while noting that cabinet is unhappy with the disruption to business that the continuing protests there has caused.
During a post-cabinet press briefing yesterday, Luncheon said that the discussions are centred around three broad issues: the process to end the electricity subsidy in Linden, the planning of a Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of three persons during the protest; and interventions to improve the socio-economic status of the Region Ten community.
He said that while the situation in the mining town remains unresolved, the engagements between the administration of Region Ten and central government through the President and the Office of the President “continue to be constructive.”
According to Luncheon, the meetings are sometimes held on short notice. “The bilateral engagements are frequent and they indeed have been extremely cordial and have led to significant attention being paid to exploring through that medium—the dialogue and the consultation—the way forward.”
He said that cabinet is unhappy with the actual form that the protests have taken in Linden and primarily since a situation has been created where “normal commerce” between Linden and regions Six, Seven, Eight and Nine.
He said that this situation is being enforced by fear and intimidation. “The president continues to insist that the continuation of those forms of protests are impacting negatively on a wide range of matters—some of them collateral—matters that influence the prospects for Linden and (the) Region Ten development,” he added.
Later, when quizzed about the impact that the protests, which include the blockage of main roads, are having on the community he responded that while there is no formal document about the impact. “We don’t have to be a scientist to recognize its consequences,” he, however, added.
He said that in his opinion the business community wants solutions “because for them this is about bread and butter. Every day, millions of dollars are being lost. Literally the development is being frustrated.”
Later Luncheon opted not to respond to queries as to whether any terms of references for the Commission of Inquiry have been reached. He stressed that he would be hesitant to speak on the issue since the deadline to comply and present these is August 2.
Luncheon was also unable to state the time frame for the technical team that is reviewing the method of hiking the Linden power tariffs.
Linden has been the scene of continued protests over the past week over the government’s decision to gradually phase out its subsidy for electricity costs in the town, with residents bearing more of the costs as a result.
Last Wednesday, during a confrontation with police ranks, three protestors were shot dead and at least 20 more were injured.
