A protest for the setting of an elections date was staged last evening just a few feet away from the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where President David Granger was invited to speak at a reception held in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Opposition PPP/C Presidential Candi-date Irfaan Ali told reporters that his party joined with a Non-Governmental Organisation, the Association for Democracy and Human Rights, which was hosting a candlelight vigil for the protection of democracy. “So people came out here… calling on the government to name the date of elections now… standing up against a dictatorship, standing up for democracy, for the rule of law, standing up for the protection of your fundamental rights,” Ali said, while noting that they were exercising their rights to demonstrate peacefully and that they were being blocked from doing so.
Ali stated that the police blocked “peaceful Guyanese” from exercising their right at every point leading to the Centre. “Look at the level of force that they brought out against what? A candle? Peaceful people…? This is not required, this level of aggression,” Ali stated.
The protesters were heard chanting, among other things, “Hold elections, now”, “Who must go, Granger”, “Who’s the dictator? Granger” and “When we want elections? Now!”
There was a heightened security presence for the event, which comes in wake of a disruptive protest that was staged last Thursday by the PPP at the Pegasus Hotel, where Granger was also speaking.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF), which appeared to have been caught off guard by the protest last week, had indicated that it would endeavour to prevent and respond whenever necessary to any such recurrence and warned that anyone found in breach of the law will be dealt with in a condign manner.
A large police presence was seen along the East Coast of Demerara last evening, with the first checkpoint being the intersection of Sheriff Street and the Rupert Craig Highway. Further east, persons were not allowed to turn to access the Railway Embankment Road. Members of the media who were making their way to the centre were subjected to searches of their persons and vehicles before being allowed to enter the compound.
Protesters were last evening stopped from getting too close to the conference centre as police officers, clad in riot gear, were stationed just outside the entrance of the nearby National Aquatic Centre and road leading to the Giftland Mall.
Ali noted that according to statements from the international community, a date for elections should have been announced before September 18th.
Present at the protest exercise were a number of PPP/C members of parliament, including Priya Manickchand and Juan Edghill, and former president Sam Hinds.
According to the PPP General Secretary and former president Bharrat Jagdeo, members of the public are aware that President Granger is prepared to “defy our constitution” and discomfort Guyanese to retain power. He, too, referenced statements made by the Commonwealth, and the United States. “The statement from the US and the others pointed out how it would affect our economy, investments, international assistance and yet this president having said to the nation that all he is doing is waiting on GECOM to inform him about a date for elections, is still unprepared to call an early elections,” Jagdeo said from the protest line.
Jagdeo further reiterated that protests will intensify as the days go by until a date for elections is announced. “We want an early election called now by Granger. Not any election date because I think that’s what they wanna hang on to and probably let the time drift again, so that he thinks we may not be able to sustain this,” he added.
“It is so disappointing that instead of having the police do what they’re supposed to do, go across the country and protect the citizens of Guyana… which they took an oath to do, they now have to protect a dictator, hundreds of policemen and many against their own wishes to protect a dictator who refuses to abide by the constitution,” Jagdeo added.
He went on to say that threats will not intimidate them and that the nation must see the protesters as persons fighting for the rights of all Guyanese.
When the protesters dispersed and were making their way from the picket lines, persons who resided in the environs emerged and were heard shouting expletives at them. “Granger is me president,” one said, while threats and more expletives were hurled. However, the police ensured that those intimidating the protestors were kept a safe distance away from them.
With the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) last week signaling its readiness to hold elections by the end of February, the party has been calling on President Granger to set a date for the polls in accordance with the constitutional provisions attendant to the passage of a no-confidence motion against the government. The motion was passed since last December and the constitution caters for polls to have been held within three months in the absence of the government and opposition coming to a compromise on an extension.
