Elections Day violence victims to be compensated

TIMES INT'L
Kwame McCoy
Kwame McCoy

Government will soon be reaching out to the traumatised persons who became victims of the violence that flooded several communities on Election Day, May 11, 2015. This is according to a parliamentary Order Paper seen by Guyana Times International.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Joseph Hamilton put forward the motion in the recent sitting of the National Assembly.

Hamilton argued that the victims were, among other things, psychologically abused, physically assaulted, robbed and had their properties severely damaged or completely destroyed.

Government conceded with the proposition and will accordingly compensate the victims.

According to the Order Paper, “be it resolved that the National Assembly confirmed the principle of Government’s compensations for victims of specified forms of Election Day Violence as occurred on May 11, 2015.”

Government will also meet and consult with the victims.

The violence took place at a number of polling stations along the East Coast of Demerara and Georgetown and at least one victim required expensive emergency surgery. Former Information Liaison Kwame McCoy was attacked so badly that he had to be hospitalised. McCoy was confronted by an angry mob as he was about to exit the polling station at St Sidwell Primary School at Hadfield Street and Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.

Another notable incident was the unrest which occurred in C Field Sophia for over 12 hours during which Police Officers were unable to control the riotous crowd which had gathered in front of a home and began to engage in the looting of personal property. The home and outbuildings as well as several vehicles were subsequently set afire.

In other areas, persons were hauled out of their vehicles and received several blows about their bodies for merely making an appearance in villages that were predominately occupied by supporters of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition.

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