The Commission of Inquiry into the July 18 killings in Linden will not be based in the mining town as had been initially proposed and Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon says he will continue to insist that the original proposal be adopted.
The TOR was on Monday completed and would now pave the way for the commission to begin its work.
“We will continue to insist and pursue the commission sitting in Linden. I think that it is only fair for the people of Linden to be given the fullest opportunity possible so that they can have the inquiry taking place in a location that is convenient to the people and to even take place where the actual crime was committed”, Solomon told reporters outside Office of the President last night moments after he had signed the Linden Agreement with government.
The agreement signed does not include the COI but the Region as well as the opposition had always insisted that the commission should have its base in the mining town.
Solomon was responding to the revelation which was made by APNU Chairman Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine during questions following the signing.
Roopnaraine when asked where the commission would be based responded that it would be sitting in George-town and will be travelling to Linden as needs be.
“It has been proposed and I think it is being arranged that they would meet centrally where they have the supportive mechanisms, apparatus to work and we are also anticipating that the commission will travel to Linden to take direct evidence from people there”, he told reporters.
Further, he said that the three foreigners who will be sitting on the commission are expected to remain in Guyana for the entire six to eight week period that the inquiry is expected to last.
He noted though that one of the foreign commissioners had said that he may be out of the jurisdiction (Guyana) for a day or two.
“I think that all obstacles to moving the COI forward have been overcome and we are ready as we sit here to initial and sign the TOR for the Commission of Inquiry”, he said stressing that there has been full agreement on all the terms. The terms should have been completed by August 2 but the Alliance For Change objected to it when it was read in parliament that day and as such the talks were reopened to allow the party to have an input. Region 10 also objected to one of the terms.
Solomon outside OP said that to have the commission set up in Linden would be more convenient as all the necessary material will be available and the commissioners will not have to be travelling back and forth between Linden and Georgetown.
He said that the issue of material resources should not stop the commission from sitting in Linden. “I think accommodations can be made and we will continue to pursue or insist that that is done”, he added.
Meanwhile Solomon said that he is satisfied with the fact that there is a foreign component on the commission.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon on Monday confirmed that Retired Chief Justice of Jamaica, Lensley Wolfe; Jamaican senator and Senior Counsel, K.D. Knight; former Trinidad senator and Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal; former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Cecil Kennard and former Justice of Appeal, Claudette Singh will sit on the Commission.
He stated too that their work is expected to begin “by the end of August, beginning of September” for about six to eight weeks.
Lindeners on July 18 began what was supposed to have been a five-day protest over government’s proposed electricity tariff increase. As night stepped in on that first day, police opened fire near the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge. Ron Somerset, 18; Shemroy Bouyea and Allan Lewis, 46 were killed during the incident and at least 20 others were wounded.
