Sandra Adams, Regional Coordinator for the PNCR and APNU in Region Ten, has defended the actions she took by ordering that protesters be locked out from a meeting on Friday with Leader of the Opposi-tion, David Granger.
In a broadcast on NCN Linden on Monday, she however apologized to those who were unable to attend the meeting but singled out a group in Linden which she said had become very disruptive to the party.
There has been a rift between APNU/PNCR and a key section of the PNCR in Linden since 2012. The showdown between the two sides at the Mackenzie High School on Friday when the main gate to the school compound was ordered locked by Adams has raised more questions about the party’s standing in one of its traditional main strongholds,
The eleven and a half minute broadcast was rerun twice on Monday evening with footage added of placard-bearing demonstrators hurling insults at Granger, as he left the meeting with his entourage in about five vehicles.
Adams said the broadcast was intended to give viewers a clear picture of what “exactly transpired on Friday 10th of October 2014”. She said the meeting was one of several that the party intends to hold around the country to enlighten people about local government, the need for local government elections and “inform residents of communities … like Linden, some issues that we are not able to be alerted on via television and so forth”.
She explained that she was asked to organize a series of community meetings in Linden between October 10th and 18th “where any member of the community can come and hear what the leader has to say and ask questions, raise concerns and make comments”.
Stating that the first meeting was planned for the Mackenzie High School, Adams pointed out that radio advertisements were done and fliers were prepared and distributed for the meeting, which came off as planned. “The leader was in Linden by 5.30 PM. He’s a very on-time person and so, the meeting started about 6.15 with about fifty people, who were there,” Adams said.
She, however, stated that hours before the meeting – on Friday morning – “… because, of course, there are informants in any group, we were informed there will be a protest to protest the Leader of the Opposition by some of his own, disgruntled people that came back from Congress, who did not have an opportunity to win, of course, or, who were annoyed at losing.
“And so, we saw the protestors gathering over at LICHAS (Hall) while we were over at Mackenzie High School. But that didn’t bother us. But I had alerted the police that there will be a protest … and that I would like to have the leader, Mr. David Granger – he’s not the leader of the PNCR only, he’s the leader of APNU and therefore, should be protected at all cost because he has a very important position.
“So, the meeting went on. We started at 6.15 and the meeting concluded at about ten minutes to nine. So, we had a full meeting of the leader and I want to show you some of the fliers. There are a number of them that he spoke to. One of them is this: the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the (Financing of Terrorism). He gave a clear explanation of why the party took the position they took and why it is a bill that is not yet passed in parliament. He also spoke on local democracy and human development. He also explained why we’re calling for local government elections and he can’t understand why we don’t have one yet, based on the promises we were told. He also spoke on the pursuit of truth and the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry. He spoke on the No Confidence Motion that is expected to be tabled in parliament. He spoke on projects that were tabled and why the opposition did not support it.”
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Stressing that people in Linden need to be informed of the topics on the agenda of the meeting, Adams added: “But, of course, there is this group of about eighteen to twenty people, who are disgruntled. The same amount all the time that came with placards to picket and to disrupt the meeting. So, I took a position where I could not allow a meeting that I worked hard along with others to put, or to bring off, to be disrupted and so, I instructed the people at the gate to lock the gate.
“Unfortunately, I apologize to those, who came for the meeting but I hope you understand that it didn’t make sense I let you come in and still we would not have had a meeting. So, I apologize for you coming and not being able to enter the meeting. But that is exactly what transpired on Friday.”
Stating that the other meetings have been postponed because of the protest action, Adams said the party’s Central Executive members are meeting to decide a way forward. She emphasized that apart from Mortimer Mingo, who is a Central Executive elected member at Congress, she is the only other executive member of the PNCR in Linden. “All the other persons within this Region are simply party members,” she stressed. “There are no other party executive members in Region Ten.”
During the broadcast, Adams was asked by NCN’s Tracy Liverpool to comment on members of APNU complaining of being sidelined and she replied: “I’d say sidelined in the sense that everything that APNU plan, they disrupt. If it don’t go their way, or you don’t listen to their advice, or you don’t do what they want, they disrupt it. And so, you cannot have progress with people, who will disrupt everything. There are a number of people on board, who wants to see the APNU move forward and those, who want to see the APNU go forward are the people, who meet, discuss and execute plans.”
Liverpool also asked Adams to comment on the allegation that she has been imposed on Region Ten as the APNU coordinator. She replied: “Well, I think I cleared that up the last time and I’m going to clear it again. I was not imposed. I returned to this country in 2014 February and when I came, I visited the Regional Chairman’s (Sharma Solomon) Office, offered my support, offered to work with him. He refused it. And so, I moved to central, offered my support and offered to work. The Central Executive of the party, of the PNCR, called a meeting: had the Regional Chairman; had the Regional MPs, both of them; the Regional Vice Chairman; the interim chairman; the Central Executive representative, who lives in this Region; and myself. We were all at that meeting and the party suggest that they will appoint a coordinator. So, the ones, who claim that I’m imposed were a part of the process. After then, the general secretary wrote … the persons, who are considered leaders in the Region to inform them that the Central Executive has appointed a coordinator to do party work.”
Adams added that to her knowledge, the party did not have a coordinator since 2006. She said she would like the viewers to know that “the APNU is a strong party and … the APNU, I should say it’s a cooperative of parties. I was appointed via the PNCR, which is the strongest of the APNU and the PNCR stands solidly behind their decision. The Central Executive stands solidly behind their decision and therefore, it is expected that you cannot say that you’re working with your party and still work against your party. You cannot say that you are a solid PNC member, or solid PNCR member and not want to work with the leader of the PNCR. You’re contradicting your own self.
“And so, we know and we are aware that the majority of Linden and Region Ten stand solidly behind the PNCR and APNU. It is just a particular group of people, who sought to disrupt…”
She said the leader has sent his regards to Linden and he also wants to apologize to the people, who went to attend the meeting but could not get in because of the locked gate. According to her, the leader spoke for over an hour.
“Questions were asked. Comments were made and he promised to get back with decisions.” Adams also promised to have the fliers that were displayed and discussed at the meeting reproduced and shared in Linden.
