The Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has asked for a deferment of a meeting with Government so as to meet stakeholders in the region and share with them the Region’s position on the progress of the talks and to canvas their views as well.
This is according to Regional Chairman for Region 10 Sharma Solomon who said that there is to be a stakeholder meeting this weekend in Linden to seek the view of residents on current issues such as the stalled television deal and the progress of the various committees established under the August 21, 2012 agreement.
And for the purpose of the meeting, the Region has asked for a deferral of a meeting with the Government that should have been held on Friday January 4. “We were to meet on Friday but we asked for it to be rescheduled since over the Christmas holidays we were not able to consult with stakeholders in the region,” he told Stabroek News yesterday.
“For this week we want to meet with our residents and update them on the progress and what the Region’s position is, as well as to hear their views with a view to taking those to the meeting with Government,” he said.
“For this purpose we want to plan a public meeting in Linden [sometime this weekend],” said Solomon.
Solomon said that he has received no word on when the Commission of Inquiry into the July 18 killing of three protesters will be ready with their final report. He said that he was told the COI members will be back in the country this month to continue their engagement with stakeholders. He said that after this final engagement the COI should be ready with their report in February but he was not very sure of this.
The Region in its last press statement on December 23, 2012 had expressed disappointment that the Government had not kept its end of the agreement as regards the television station and its licencing and transfer of equipment.
The meeting that was postponed would have seen the Region and Government considering names for prospective chairpersons of the Technical Review Committee and Economic Committee, spawned from the August 21, 2012 agreement.
At an earlier meeting on December 7, the parties agreed to clear the slate of all the proposed chairpersons that both sides had put forward and start anew with names of people that would have found favour with both parties.
Acting Cabinet Secretary Gail Teixeira at a press conference about two weeks ago said that the Region cannot expect the Government to sidestep the legal and technical requirements under the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) regulations and the Broadcasting Act and grant a television licence “at the wave of a wand.”
“We have assured them that we cannot do that, but we will facilitate as far as possible, their application in accordance with the law,” Teixeira had said at the press conference.
