Region Ten Chairman Sharma Solomon has asked Prime Minister Sam Hinds to take the required action to have “inaccuracies” in Ambassador Bayney Karran’s presentation on the Linden unrest to the Organisation of American States (OAS) corrected.
With his correspondence to Hinds, Solomon attached a letter he had dispatched earlier to Karran, in which he raised concerns about inaccuracies and misrepresentations in his recounting of the events at Linden in July/August, which saw three protesters being shot dead by police, around three dozen being injured and the torching of buildings.
Karran made his presentation to the OAS Permanent Council in Washington on August 22 and it has evoked criticism for what has been described as its one-sided version of events. Karran told the OAS that the situation was precarious and called for the OAS to keep a watch on Guyana.
In his letter on Thursday to Hinds, Solomon noted that Karran’s presentation had been made after Region 10 and the Government of Guyana had signed an agreement on a tariff review and other matters for Linden. This agreement brought the unrest to an end. “The inaccuracies and misrepresentations could go a far in undermining our common desire to implement the agreement of (21th) August 2012. In the circumstance, I am requesting that you take the required action to have Ambassador Karran correct the inaccuracies and misrepresentation, since it is better for the government to do it rather than the Region,” Solomon said in the letter.
Along with his earlier letter to Karran, Solomon forwarded correspondence between him and the Prime Minister attesting to the region’s determination to implement the agreement and told Karran to feel free to share the information with the OAS and any other relevant entities.
Secretary-General of the OAS Jose Miguel Insulza, in response to Karran’s presentation, said that dialogue is the best way to deal with the situation. “We think that dialogue is the best way to deal with this matter,” he said while adding that the most important thing is that the OAS is ready to support the efforts of the Guyanese people and the commission of inquiry into the protestor killings. It is very important that judgment is not rushed into, he also said.
Technical Team
Meanwhile, in a separate letter to Hinds, Solomon has raised concerns about the appointment of persons to the Technical Team to review power tariffs for Linden. It was a rise in power tariffs that had sparked the month-long protests and unrest in Linden.
The agreement, covering the Technical Team and other matters, was signed between the Government and Region 10 on August 21.
Solomon, in his letter to Hinds dated August 27, pointed out that the full terms of the agreement was published in the Stabroek News of August 22 and that the three Region 10 nominees have since raised with him the following, including when they may expect to receive formal letters of appointment to the Technical Team to which they have been nominated.
They are also seeking to know the procedures for the establishment of the Technical Team that will be followed to endow it with the legal authority to request, and to be supplied—without demur by those requested—any information that is necessary for the work of the team. The nominees have also asked what arrangements will be put in place to facilitate the work of the Technical Team with respect to the physical, financial, and other organisational arrangements that are necessary for the Team and its individual members to pursue their work expeditiously, to whom in the government will they be required to tender reports and what is the intended starting date of the 60-day period allowed for the delivery of the final report, especially since the Team has not as yet been formally legally established.
Solomon said that he looked forward to a speedy response on the matter.
Meanwhile, sources say the two sides have agreed to their nominees for the Economic Committee, which will be looking at the prospects for an economic programme for Linden.
The nominees for the government are National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) Head Winston Brassington, the Ministry of Finance’s Tarachand Balgobin and consultant/advisor Coby Frimpong. The Region Ten team comprises Sylvester Carmichael, Aubrey Norton and Haslyn Parris. The two sides are yet to agree on a chairman. Two candidates are being discussed at the moment. The Economic Committee will report to the two sides monthly and present its final report within 90 days.
