President Irfaan Ali has said that he will be asking the National Assembly to pass a unanimous resolution decrying political violence and threats of assassination after a man threatened yesterday to kill him during a live broadcast on the Facebook page of APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan.
Duncan was broadcasting from the picket line as hundreds of East Coast residents, mainly from Golden Grove and surrounding villages, were blocking the main road and lighting fires. The residents were protesting the killing of Quinton Bacchus, 23, a father of one, by a policeman on June 10 at Haslington New Scheme, East Coast Demerara.
Yesterday’s protest is believed to have stemmed from the erroneous report from the Guyana Daily News, an online entity that the policeman accused of pulling the trigger was released from custody.
The Guyana Police Force has since debunked the report and informed that the officer was removed from “close arrest” and placed on “open arrest.” Open arrest means that the policeman cannot leave the Police Headquarters at Eve Leary where he is confined.
The threat against the President was made about one hour into Duncan’s broadcast by a man referred to as ‘Walkie’.
‘Walkie’ said, “we gon kill de (expletive) President to”.
Immediately after the statement was made, a man and woman were heard telling Duncan to “don’t put it pon media, budday.”
Duncan, after a brief moment of silence, said “folks, emotions are running high here.”
Ali later responded via a video statement where he called on the protestors to not be misled by false statements on social media. He appealed to them to clear the roadway and allow the law to take its course.
Speaking specifically about the threat, the President said “it has been brought to my attention, by a number of stakeholders, of a video in circulation that was basically televised or so on a social media platform with great viewership in which a direct, not threat, a direct statement was made that we will kill the president. There was no condemnation by (the) one who was doing the live at that moment. This is also unacceptable, this is unacceptable in a democratic society.”
He added that it will be the subject of an investigation by the Police.
“As your president, I assure you at all times I will work to ensure there is just fairness in the system. I ask you to go home. I ask you to allow the system to work and I asked you to await the report. Let the institutions work. For those who are instigating this [protest] for selfish reasons, you have seen the damage that you’re causing not only damage to society but threats to the life of the President. It’s not acceptable,” he said in a direct plea to the protesters.
He assured that he understood the hurt but urged that the system should be allowed to work.
In a follow-up statement, Ali said that he will be approaching the Parliament to denounce the violence.
“I will be asking for the Parliament to pass a unanimous resolution decrying political violence and threats of assassination. Because, in order to build one Guyana for all, we must speak with one voice that threats of political violence and assassination will not be tolerated in our democratic society. Regarding the underlying issue, I am assured that the police officer who allegedly shot and killed the young Quindon Bacchus remains confined to Police HQ and is under active and expedited investigation. We encourage justice to be done,” the statement said.
…immediate resignation and legal action
The threat to the President’s life has triggered condemnation. The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC), in a strongly-worded statement, called for the “immediate resignation” of Duncan saying this his failure to condemn the threat makes him “not fit for a lawmaker of this country.
“…the least one could have expected from Duncan was an apology to his viewers and advising that such threats cannot be tolerated. We cannot continue to build this country with such reprehensible behaviour from an MP, whose antics on national television has been tolerated for far too long. We most urgently need our lawmakers to set the right example for Guyana,” the statement said.
The CCCC added that Berbicians are heavily affected whenever there are “sporadic protests” along the East Coast corridor since travel is impeded. It added that the organisers of the protests should face the full force of the law as well as those engaged in looting and stealing.
“This sort of obnoxious behaviour must not be tolerated. Lawful protests are all well and good for a just cause but others must not be made victims to it,” it added.
In a statement yesterday, the Private Sector Commission rejected the threat of assassination made against the President of Guyana by the protestor.
Duncan, who is also General Secretary of the Alliance For Change (AFC), said that he did not participate in the threat to the President’s life and has instructed his attorney to institute legal proceedings against anyone that suggests otherwise.
“I wish to state that I have not aided, abetted, counselled or procured anyone to make any statement in relation to the life of the President or anyone else. This is pellucidly clear from the particular video circulating. I have since spoken to my legal counsel and have instructed Attorney at Law Darren Wade to institute legal proceedings against those publishing these malicious and false statements,” Duncan said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.
