A New and United Guyana (ANUG) has announced that executive Kian Jabour would be withdrawing from all of the party’s activities pending the outcome of criminal proceedings against him over the alleged assault of his former girlfriend.
Jabour was charged on Friday with assaulting the woman to cause actual bodily harm. He was released on $20,000 bail after denying the charge.
In a statement on Saturday, ANUG said Jabour has informed the party’s Executive Committee of the charge and has strongly maintained his innocence of the crime.
ANUG noted that as a party it recognizes that in Guyana’s society misogyny and abuse of women is a chronic disease, whose symptoms appear from the level of the street to the halls of power. “We insist that women’s rights are to be safeguarded as a priority, and that the culture of patriarchy must be fought and eradicated,” it said.
At the same time, the party added that it also recognises the principle of the presumption of innocence until a person is proven guilty. “Mr. Jabour has been charged with assault, and will be tried in a court of law, which is the court to be respected, and not the court of social media with its concomitant political trolls and commentators,” it explained.
Nonetheless, given the seriousness of the charge and ANUG’s position on respect for women’s rights, the party said its Executive Committee has determined that Jabour should withdraw from all activities relating to ANUG until the conclusion of the pending proceedings against him. “Mr. Jabour has agreed to this course of action,” the statement added.
ANUG is one of three parties sharing a seat in the National Assembly.
