The Alliance For Change (AFC) yesterday charged that the government is deliberately dragging out negotiations over the Linden crisis and the party also voiced concern at the “one-sided” coverage of events in the mining town by the state broadcaster, NCN.
“Our party does not view as unreasonable any of the demands being made by the people of Linden through their elected representatives, and urges a speedy conclusion of the stalled negotiations between the government and those representatives,” said executive member Dominic Gaskin at the party’s weekly press briefing yesterday. AFC leader, Khemraj Ramjattan also expressed concern that there could be “sinister” motives on the part of the government to drag out the process.
The party also said that coverage of the events in Linden by NCN, is one sided. “We note with concern the tone of the most recent condemnations, by members of the governing party, of the criminal burning of buildings in the town of Linden, most notably the primary school at One Mile, Wismar. For the many citizens of Guyana whose access to information other than that being broadcast by NCN is fairly limited, there was an impression created that the burning of the school and other buildings was being condoned by the people of Linden and their leaders, both spiritual and political. In this regard the AFC was also singled out and the party wishes to repeat, yet again, that we unreservedly and unequivocally condemn this and all other deliberate destruction of property. We urge NCN to visit the community of Linden to solicit the views of the people of Linden and to broadcast those views to the rest of Guyana,” Gaskin said.
He said that “quite disturbing” was the suggestion by one Minister that leaders who do not condemn those acts of arson thereby lend their tacit support to the perpetrators, and may as well have struck the matches themselves. “Did NCN up to the time of that broadcast on Sunday evening seek to obtain comments from anyone other than Government officials on the burning of the One Mile Primary School? The AFC notes yet again the contempt and disrespect shown by NCN not only towards the people of Linden but towards all Guyanese,” he said.
“On the subject of tacit support, one is forced to wonder whether a similar logic applies to the failure of the government and its ministers to condemn outright the brutal and unnecessary murder of the three unarmed protestors on the first day of the planned five day protest,” Gaskin added.
Meanwhile, Ramjattan again said that government has ulterior motives in not wanting progress on the issues. “I think that this government would like to see this thing blow up nationally because of course, as the motives were mentioned, they want to put corruption on the back burner,” he said. He also questioned why there has been no arrest yet of the shooters of three Linden protesters almost four weeks ago. He said that while the Commission of Inquiry will be done in time “investigations as to the killings ought to have been done and been carried out now.”
The AFC leader said that the president and government must budge in view of the killings and aftermath. The president and his administration are changing the goalposts. “We feel that they are dragging this out for purposes of their own to ensure the motives are realized,” he said.
Ramjattan said that in terms of the Terms of Reference for the Commission of Inquiry, their objection to one objective is primarily based on the fact that the right of protest is protected by the constitution. He said what they would also like to include in the TOR, the treatment afforded the injured and wounded immediately after the shooting. He also suggested who could sit on the Commission. The Linden protest erupted almost four weeks ago against a hike in electricity tariffs but escalated after the fatal shooting of three protesters.
