Prime Minister Sam Hinds accused the opposition parties of instigating the disturbances to destabilise the country and get into power yesterday, in the light of the recent protest in Agricola.
“We condemn the attempts by the opposition to destabilise our country as a method of getting into power. We condemn their selfish, callous disregard for the safety and welfare of our people and their readiness to sacrifice the peace and public order of our country in their attempt to remove the PPP/C from office,” Hinds said in a statement to the National Assembly, moments before the government sought to suspend parliamentary business for a debate of the October 11 protest at Agricola, which saw persons confront the police while the East Bank public road was blocked, leading to the stranding of commuters, some of whom were also robbed.
Hinds’ statement prompted heated exchanges between the government and opposition, even before Speaker Raphael Trotman denied the request by the government for the debate.
Hinds questioned the methods of the opposition parties–APNU and AFC–saying it appeared that they “plotted and actively led disturbances that can only be viewed as concerted attempts to destabilise our country with callous disregard for the welfare and security of our people.”
He added that government was “astonished and horrified” by statements of AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes on October 8 giving President Donald Ramotar an ultimatum to dismiss Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee from office within 48 hours or the party would call mass protests that they would lead and called to civil society to “take their own action.”
Hinds said the government particularly holds the AFC responsible and accountable for the events of October 11, adding that it cannot be viewed as anything but “a threat to national security and the peace and public order of our country.”
“It was not the opposition was the rumbling Roger,” said AFC’s leader Khemraj Ramjattan in rebuttal to Hinds’ statement, referring to Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon’s declaration that the government was ready to rumble on Rohee’s retention.
Another member of the opposition then called for Rohee to go but government members quickly said, “He ain’t going nowhere” and “He shall not be moved.”
Hinds also made reference to Hughes statements’ at a subsequent rally held by Red Thread and others, where he quoted Peter Tosh’s Equal Rights, and the exhortation that they were not calling for peace without equal rights and justice.
“It is a song Sam,” an opposition MP said.
Following his statement, both the AFC and APNU strongly denied the accusations.
Vice-Chairman of the AFC Moses Nagamootoo was the first to rise but as he did so he was met with a barrage of angry comments by members of the government side, especially a very angry Neil Kumar, who said he personally experienced hardship on the night of the protest and was forced to walk with his family through Agricola. “Moses you should be shame, all dem lil, lil girls dem been getting beat up…I see that!” Kumar shouted.
Nagamootoo described the statements made by Hinds as bordering on accusation of treason, which cannot be taken lightly.
But as Nagamootoo spoke there was continuous heckling by government MPs before Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy finally interrupted on a point of order. “Mr Speaker, I tried to be patient on this matter. The Prime Minister’s statement is not open for debate and what the member is doing right now does not fall into the Standing Order as personal explanation,” the animated Ramsammy said, even as some members of the opposition started to call him “Laptop Ramsammy.”
‘Provoked’
“I wish to say this—that as a member of the Alliance For Change and as a member of this august assembly, I am personally offended by any accusation that borders on sedition or treason. I wish to say that [neither] I or the Chairman of Alliance For Change Nigel Hughes nor any member and leader of the Alliance For Change [has] been part of planning, executing violence in Agricola or any other village in Guyana,” Nagamootoo continued.
He added that while citizens have a right to protest, they must do this peacefully. At the same time, he said the AFC recognises the anger of citizens who suffer grief and loss of lives at the hands of police bullets and for them not “to be provoked and challenged to rumble and not to be mocked and taunted by officials of the state.”
“Just say you were involved and done,” a government MP said, while another said, “You were directed by Nigel.”
“It too late Moses, it done happen,” one of Nagamootoo’s former colleagues on the government side said.
However, Nagamootoo continued his statement, saying that the AFC condemned any and all violence and robberies that were brought to its attention that were associated with or exploited by events that had unfolded in Agricola. He said he had made a statement on the very night of the October 11 protest denying any involvement by him or the AFC.. He said he was offended by statements by many members of the state that he was involved in instigating violence against Indo-Guyanese and that he should go to Berbice to tell the people what he did.
“I wish to condemn this racism as being divisive on the part of the government and that their attempts to give racial content to people’s anger and people’s protest will not bring peace to Guyana, it would further divide our society,” Nagamootoo said, while calling on the PPP/C to call off its hate campaign.
Nagamootoo said they asked that the “anti-national communication network”—a reference to NCN—to carry the party’s statements but this has not been done.
Meanwhile, opposition and APNU leader David Granger said that Hinds made some “very damming accusations” but his party was not involved in instigating any violent protest. Granger said he personally presided over a meeting of members of the PNCR and they planned a week of protests that were conducted without incidents. He said there was a picketing demonstration in front of the office of the Minister of Home Affairs as well as the Office of the President, culminating in a rally at Stabroek square and there were no reports from the police of any disorder.
“A Partnership for National Unity and the People’s National Congress Reform were not involved in any disorder and no accusation were made against us and I refute everything the Prime Minister said attributing any blame to APNU or PNCR with regard to the incidents at Agricola,” Granger said.
Meanwhile, announcing the government’s request for a debate on the Agricola events, Trotman said he received a letter from its Chief Whip Gail Teixeira just after lunch yesterday raising the issue of the events at Agricola as a matter of urgent public importance and requesting his leave to permit a debate under Standing Order 12.
After looking at rulings of his predecessors, he denied the request, prompting the government side to invoke Standing Order 12 (3) B, which provides for at least 18 elected members to rise in their places to support the request. The entire government side stood and Teixeira said they rose to seek his indulgence to allow the request.
Following some debate on what that particular Standing Order really meant, which saw the input of Deputy Speaker Deborah Backer, Attorney General Anil Nandlall and others, Trotman adjourned the sitting. “Based on the ruling of the Lok Sabha and the procedures of manual that is used by this House, I will not… despite the standing of 18 and more members of the National Assembly for the motion I would not put it for the approval of the house. Miss Teixeira, your request is not permitted,” Trotman ruled.
Teixeira then signalled the administration’s intention to have the matter re-engage the attention of the National Assembly by way of a substantive motion.
