With the economic toll rising as a result of the continuing barricading of Linden roads, President Donald Ramotar yesterday said that the security forces have again been tasked with finding ways of clearing the thoroughfares.
Traffic to regions Eight and Nine and other parts of Region Ten have been largely halted since the protests began in Linden on July 18 and businesses and residents in those areas have been feeling the squeeze. The protests arose after government instituted a hike in electricity tariffs for Linden and subsequently expanded to include the killing of three protestors. It is now almost three weeks since the roads have been barricaded. The tariff increase has since been put on hold by the government.
Ramotar, at the opening of the National Toshaos Confer-ence yesterday, signaled that the increased tariff for Linden is necessary. “If the people of St Ignatius in the Rupununi area have to pay for electricity it is only fair that all of us pay our fair share…I am asking the security forces to help so that people can have unimpeded access through the (Linden) community so that they can carry on with their own lives and business,” he said. He later told reporters that he has asked the security forces to take some initiatives to clear the roads.
Just over a week ago, Ramotar was forced to cancel a planned visit to Linden after failed attempts by security forces to clear blocked passages. He has since said that he would not visit the community until all the blockages are cleared.
Ramotar noted that the blocking of roads is having a negative economic impact not only on Linden but in areas south of that region and the country as a whole since it is a deterrent to investors. He said that he hopes it would soon end. “Because of what is taking place in Linden, the blocking of the road has created a lot of inconvenience for many of you to come here…I hope that a speedy end will be brought to that situation because of the fact that it is affecting the lives of many of the Amerindian communities south of that area. Most of all, it [is] impacting heavily and probably on the lives on the people who live in the Linden community,” he said.
The president further emphasised that the standoff should not have reached this stage, because government had previously explained that the subsidy of electricity generated by Bosai Minerals Group has become unsustainable because of the increasing price of fuel. He reiterated the need for Lindeners to conserve electricity to cushion the impact of the increased tariff on residential and commercial/ industrial consumers.
‘Freedom under
pressure’
Ramotar also warned that the situation has seen democratic freedoms under threat. “I am committed to working to ensure that Guyana does not return to undemocratic, unlawful, unconstitutional and unstableness in our society,” he said. “The freedom we all enjoy is now under some pressure by some people. All of us must play our part in defending democracy and freedom,” he added, arguing that while everyone has a legitimate right to protest and demonstrate, those must have an objective and must be done in a way that does not jeopardise the lives of people in any other part of the country.
The President expressed fear that Guyana could become an uncompetitive destination for investment because investors are demanding political insurance in the wake of the degeneration of the protests and demonstrations into violence. “Demonstrations and protests should not automatically mean violence, should never degenerate into a situation where people are extorted to walk on a public road, where economic life is affected, where businesses are threatened and look at the long term of what can happen in some places,” he said.
Stabroek News was told by police sources that groups of persons are roaming areas of Linden robbing strangers and other persons attempting to pass. Some persons are even told that they must pay as much as $10,000 to secure safe passage through barriers put up by the protesters, the sources said. Police last week arrested three cutlass-wielding men who were allegedly robbing passengers in the Rockstone Area where a road was dug up to waylay travelers.
Ramotar appealed to Guyanese to respect the country’s laws rather than allow the situation to degenerate into lawlessness.
He cited countries like Somalia, which has been harmed by disorder. The almost three weeks old standoff between Lindeners and soldiers and police has seen prices for basic necessities skyrocket in Region 10 as well as Regions 8 and 9 which use Linden as a major entry and exit point for fuel, food, mining and other supplies.
Three people died and at least 20 others were injured on July 18 after police fired at protesters on the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge. Government has agreed to hold a Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incidents on that day and night, which also saw several vehicles and one building burnt. Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon and the president along with other stakeholders met again yesterday in an attempt to resolve the continuing standoff.
