It’s all up to Hughes and Nagamootoo now

Dear Editor,

It was Catherine Hughes MP, while addressing the National Assembly on July 25th 2012, who made strong reference to the violation of the rights of Lindeners who peacefully protested on July 18th 2012.

Three Lindeners were shot and killed by members of the Guyana Police Force, on that fateful day. There has been no justice and some opined that there will be none forthcoming.

The APNU and AFC in parliament moved a no confidence motion against Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee to no avail.

Rohee continues in parliament and the Opposition vows that there will be non-support for any Bills presented by him. Mr Rohee also has the unwavering support of President Donald Ramotar.
The slaughter of the three Lindeners, and the shooting of more than twenty protesters who sustained serious and life threatening injuries, have seen no justice. Some opine they will see none.
We are in the month of November, five months on since the killings.

During those months there has been international outcry in the forms of protests in the UK, USA and Canada, condemning the grave human rights atrocities on the people of Linden, perpetrated by the Government of Guyana.

International human rights groups have condemned those acts of senseless State murders and urged that there must be swift justice. No justice to date. The Joint Opposition and the ruling PPP agreed to a commission of inquiry into the killings. They did not bring commissioners from the UK, USA or Canada. Why?

Nigel Hughes may be president one day. Hughes gives hope to our struggles for equal rights and justice in Guyana but fate can be sometimes cruel.

The men and women who are sacrificing so much to save Guyana may not be given any opportunity to rule and save our country; at least, not in the near future, by the way things are happening.

Until David Granger and Khemraj Ramjattan stop their weak posturing, we may just roll into another election year to once again give the PPP a majority in the National Assembly.

It is for Nigel Hughes and Moses Nagamootoo to create an urgent political fever amongst the masses as if we are in an election year. This must be sustained until we feel the winds of change beginning to gently brush against our bruised cheeks.

Linden has received not a single thing coming out of their high profile meetings with the government; no satellite dish, no transmitter, no independent TV station.

Nothing coming out of countless talks with the Regional Chairman and his team and the Government of Guyana. No compensation for the family of those killed and the injured victims.

My meeting in September of this year with Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon gave me the impression that the government was forthcoming with the ‘TV Promise’. The Regional Chairman was optimistic about positive results and gave a guarantee that we will see independent TV at Linden two weeks from the time of our meeting. It is two months and counting.

The PPP wins every time. Meanwhile, Granger collects his pay as Opposition Leader, sounds and looks important, wears green which symbolizes militancy and talks a lot about Guyana and where it should be. As an historian he forgets that history can and will be harsh on him if he remains a toothless poodle as Leader of the Joint Opposition.

Hughes gives me a lot of hope. Nagamootoo can bring some hope too. He seems very quiet lately. Mark Benschop, Freddie Kissoon, Gerhard Ramsaroop and Lincoln Lewis press on tired but tireless.

The ball is in Hughes’s and Nagamootoo’s court. Maybe, we will have to start holding them accountable.

Where potential is great and experience is not a problem. Where there is a will; these two men must now make a way.

I am through with Ramjattan and Granger. They can do no more to disappoint.

Yours faithfully,
Norman Browne