The Private Sector Commission (PSC) yesterday expressed its disappointment that the Chairman of Region 10, Sharma Solomon, and his team objected to their presence at a meeting with President Donald Ramotar on Tuesday to discuss the Linden unrest.
Solomon told a press conference on Tuesday that when the meeting convened at Office of the President and the private sector showed up he and his team expressed appreciation for the role that the private sector plays but said that they had agreed to a meeting with the President. Solomon and his team further said that even if the private sector were to be at the forum then other stakeholders like the trade unions should have been there. As a result, the private sector did not remain for the meeting.
In a statement yesterday, the private sector responded to the snub. It said that it was disappointed that Solomon and his team which included APNU MPs Vanessa Kissoon and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, Aubrey Norton of the PNCR and the AFC’s Nigel Hughes objected to their presence as observers to the discussions with President Ramotar.
The PSC said that the meeting was summoned with the intention of bringing an urgent resolution to the Linden crisis – which has seen routes into and out of the town shut after the killing of three protesters by police on July 18 – in a manner that encouraged open dialogue by all relevant stakeholders.
The statement said that Ramotar had invited the PSC so that issues relevant to the private sector could have formed a part of the discourse with Solomon and his team. The PSC said that similarly, the Regional Chairman was asked to ensure that other relevant stakeholders such as the Linden Chamber of Commerce and Representatives of the Religious Community, etc. were invited. It was subsequently learnt that the Regional Chairman did not invite the Linden Chamber of Commerce, the PSC added.
“The PSC believes that in light of the repeated calls for open dialogue, impartiality and an independent presence in investigations and discourse, this was a perfect opportunity to involve non-political stakeholders in arriving at resolutions for the collective benefit of all those persons, citizens and entities affected by the events of the last two weeks. By their refusal to embark on discussions in the presence of the Private Sector, the Regional Chairman and his team have denied the citizenry this opportunity and by extension, have refused to take a holistic approach which addresses all of the issues at hand, for all of the people affected”, the statement said.
It added that it now appears to the PSC that promises made by most political parties for non-political observers and an independent presence, “have been abandoned or are being applied selectively.”
The PSC said that it will however not abandon its mission. It said that it will continue to stand true to the following four pillars when dealing with the issues at hand:
1. Political and social stability.
2. Economic development of Guyana
3. Law, order and accountability for our actions
4. Representation of the interests of the entire Private Sector, particularly the Mining and Forestry Sectors that are experiencing grave hardships at the moment.
“As we endeavor to play our part we will continue to keep the public informed. We hope that open, all-inclusive dialogue on all the issues related to the events in Linden, by all the relevant and affected stakeholders, can be embarked upon swiftly. We should not confine our discourse on national issues to the political will of a few”, the PSC added.
