President Irfaan Ali yesterday said that the statements made on Thursday by executive member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Tacuma Ogunseye, were made with the intention of promoting “hate, terrorism and racism” in the country and has since called on Guyanese to condemn such actions.
During a live recording on the Department of Public Information (DPI) Facebook page, the president questioned the capability of the party and the opposition, since he said that they are involving “respectable” and “disciplined” persons of the force to destroy the country’s “democracy.”
“…they seek to urge respectable disciplined men and women in uniform to be part of a system that destroys democracy, they know nothing about unity and bringing our country together. I want every Guyanese to listen to this tape, to listen to the content of what came off of that stage…and to ask themselves a very simple question, ‘are these leaders?’”
He further sought to question various institutions and the villagers of Buxton about their acceptance of the WPA statements. “To the private sector ask yourself these simple questions, ‘can these people who share that stage have the interest of Guyana at heart?’, to the religious community in the consciousness of religion and in your own conscience as religious leaders, ‘do you accept this?’, to some of the civil society who would ignore this because it does not suit their agenda too, ‘where are your voices now?’”
“The people of Buxton should also ask themselves, ‘why is it every time they make these dangerous calls that they seek to utilize Buxton as a village?’, ‘that is the respect they have for Buxton and Buxtonians?’ ‘Why is it that we continue to allow them to use us as pawns?’”
Ali added, “This is clear hate, terrorism and racism that came off of that stage… we not only condemn these types of statements, but we reinforce and reiterate once more our full commitment, our full sacrifice,” while positing that his Government will continue to stand up for democracy and “what is right.”
Ogunseye made several claims during a WPA meeting held in the village of Buxton on Thursday night where he urged persons of African descent to be “battle ready” and stated that his party along with the opposition will receive support from the disciplined services who “carry weapons” because to me the institutions are made up of mostly Afro-Guyanese.
“We in the Working People Alliance have decided once again to put the party on the line because we believe that with the present situation in our country… and the treatment and conditions of the African community requires political urgency and we have to act and we have to act quickly….for the WPA in this present campaign we have some clear objectives, the first objective is to get the African team in a state of battle readiness… the Afro-Guyanese police and soldiers… would stand with Afro-Guyanese in resisting mainly Indo- Guyanese supporting the PPP/C.”
The WPA executive member had added. “…Sometimes people tell me that to remove the PPP will be hard and long but I don’t necessary believe… because at the end of the day no government could survive if they don’t have the support of the military and those who carry weapons for the state… the reality is, the army, the police are majority African Guyanese… once we organise our people and once we begin to fight we will ensure that our brothers and sisters in uniform will do the right thing and when they do the right thing this matter is over in days and not weeks… it have to be strategic.”
In a release issued on Friday, Attorney General Anil Nandlall SC describ-ed Ogunseye’s remarks as “racist” and said that the man was inciting “riotous behaviour” and that his claims cannot be proven.
“This racist incendiary call for public disorder and resistance, positioned as an alternative to the democratic process of Local Government Elections lawfully due, is capable of amounting to several criminal offences, including but not limited to, sedition, seditious libel, inciting riotous behaviour and exciting racial hostility in order to create a breakdown of law and order within the State of Guyana, if not treason.”
“Certainly, such inflammatory publications cannot be justified under the rubric of freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution, since Article 146 which guarantees such freedom, expressly excepts ‘…hate speeches or other expressions, in whatever form, capable of exciting hostility or ill-will against any person or class of persons.’ [Article 146 (3)].”
The minister further called on citizens to speak out against the rhetoric of the WPA member and not to ignore them since it could embolden. “All right-thinking citizens must therefore echo their voices against such perilous rhetoric and the law enforcement agencies are obliged to take such action as they deem necessary. History has shown that when such conduct is ignored, it inspires the perpetrators with greater boldness.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Joint Services, Brigadier Godfrey Bess on Friday said that he wished to remind citizens that irrespective of its ethnic composition the Joint Services “is an apolitical institution and will continue to uphold the noble position of service to the people of Guyana”.
The Joint Services said that it is “guided by the constitution which mandates it to stand firm in the protection of the law and in the execution of its duties, in keeping with its constitutional responsibilities, and not guided by any partisan values and interests”.
Brigadier Bess urged particularly social activists and commentators to “refrain from misleading and mischievous remarks which incite racial tensions, deviating from the promotion of the peace and security which the Services are mandated to maintain”. He made no mention of Ogunseye.
