Dear Editor,
Guyana’s President and his Prime Minister led the PPP/C pack that accused the Alliance for Change (AFC), more particularly Chairman Nigel Hughes and I, with planning and organizing the unrest and violence in Agricola on Thursday, October 11, 2012.
In a sustained drama of lies and misinformation, the PPP let their imagination run wild: Nigel Hughes was portrayed as the ringleader, and I was the commando on the ground, operating out of a Chinese shop in Agricola, directing attacks on citizens, mainly Indo-Guyanese!
So, what was the AFC leadership doing on Thursday, October 11 when Agricola was in ferment?
For myself, I was in my Law Chambers until 2 p.m when I left for a Parliamentary Management Committee meeting at Parliament Building, and I remained there until about 4 pm. The meeting was chaired by Speaker Raphael Trotman and included PPP/C MPs Gail Teixiera and Indra Chandarpal.
After the meeting, I headed straight for home, looking forward with excitement to that evening’s US vice-presidential debate. At about 6 pm I was reading an email from VP Joe Biden on what to expect in the debate, when my secretary called to say that she was caught up in traffic on the East Bank highway. She was in company with her husband and their two infant daughters. I invited them to our home, and welcomed them to spend the night if they wanted. Just about then, my niece’s husband called that he was stuck in Providence, and my son shared a photo emailed by his friend showing fire on the roadway at Agricola.
I immediately began to email AFC leaders, requesting that we share information on what’s happening in Agricola. I never left my home. I watched the debate, thought Biden won, and stayed up deep into the night to help put an AFC media statement out.
For the record, I am sharing my email interaction with other AFC leaders, as it took place between 6 pm and 9.49 pm. It makes poignant reading, and exposes those who have wrongly and wickedly maligned us:-
Moses Nagamootoo: Hey, can we share info on what’s taking place on the ground? I got photos of fire on road and water cannon on its way.
Beverley Alert: Call Trevor. He is in Eccles.
Dominic Gaskin: I’ve been stuck here for three hours now. I’m in Houston. There must be a few thousand vehicles waiting patiently for the road to clear.
David Patterson: I feel your pain and applaud your patience. However several persons have already given up and decided to spend the night in town with friends and family. On another note, I spoke with Nigel a short while ago, and he has undertaken to draft a press statement for our review on this matter.
Moses Nagamootoo: We need intelligence on the ground. There would be lots of disinformation and infiltration to make this bad.
Khemraj Ramjattan: Just off a conversation with Nigel. Shared some thoughts on the Draft statement, which will be shared with all. Looks like situation bad on the ground. Traffic blocked badly. And robberies in the Village itself.
Moses Nagamootoo: We have to fully assess the situation but whilst we maintain our position in principle on Rohee and police killings, we do not condone violence or brigandage under the guise of protest. Protest must be organized and led not left to those either to exploit it or derail it.
Raphael Trotman: My reports are of chaos. Gun shots, tear smoke, people running, some beatings and robberies.
Khemraj Ramjattan: We have to persist with our position that Rohee must go and we will ensure through all legitimate avenues that he goes. However, we must not condone what is happening…inconvenience of other citizens, robberies, etc. This we must condemn.
Raphael Trotman: The perception out there is that it’s the AFC’s “protest.”
Moses Nagamootoo: That’s how it was presented on NCN. Luncheon was pouring gasoline on fire by saying govt would take everything thrown at it but won’t sack Rohee. The NCN spin was that Nigel wanted Rohee to go and therefore the protest was his/AFC. Earlier NCN was saying that Nigel is behind the protest as they try to link ultimatum on Rohee. This is pre-emptive and suggests that the dirty tricks squad will infiltrate to debase AFC.
Khemraj Ramjattan: Mo, the statement of Shaq mom in Dem Waves explains why it happened. She said that since Luncheon want to rumble, she and Agricolans went back from Mag Ct to rumble. It is obvious that the tactless and belligerent mouthings of Roger at his Press Conference which started this. He even began singing “we never will remove Rohee”. This was also insulting when he said that Rohee is best minister.
Moses Nagamootoo: I agree, This is Luncheon’s tactic to discredit Black people and distance Indians from AFC. This is a la attack on presidential office when there was direction to “open de gate”. He would hope this gets worse.
Beverly Alert: Can we say in our statement that Govt chief spokesman taunted grieving mothers. His callous remarks and jolly nature in a matter so serious taunted [sic] ordinary women and poor families to react.
Khemraj Ramjattan: We have to separate ourselves completely from that by saying we had nothing to do with that. It was Luncheon and his recklessness.
Beverly Alert: Gail on NCN with Anil, now.
Dominic Gaskin: Clearing up now. I’m now in Agricola but crawling
Khemraj Ramjattan: Be careful, Dominic
Moses Nagamootoo: Thanks. Email me when you pass…
Moses Nagamootoo: We must reiterate that Rohee must go. His retention as home affairs minister is a provocation and further undermines confidence in the security forces. His retention mocks the grief of mothers who lose their beloved children ever so often by criminal police violence under the watch of Rohee, who has failed to exercise general control and supervision of the public safety agencies.
AFC statement
At 9.49 pm that fateful night, we issued our first statement in which AFC condemned the provocative and belligerent statements by Luncheon and also the blocking of the roadway at Agricola and subsequent robbery of innocent citizens on their way home. AFC pleaded for calm and asked citizens not to be provoked. The next day, Nigel and I at a news conference repeated our position.
The Government and its media blacked out and/or censored all AFC’s statements and instead continued unabated with their neo-fascist and racist propaganda attacks on our leaders, in their insane drive to use Agricola as a massive diversion from their widespread corruption, escalating crime and growing social fears in Guyana.
Decent Guyanese must never allow this insult to their intelligence to pass!
Yours faithfully,
Moses V Nagamootoo MP
AFC Vice-Chairman
