Linden losses will be felt for years – Dr Luncheon

Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said the Linden situation is now about new beginnings, the consequences of the losses; the impacts of which are going to be felt for years to come. Hence, he said there is need for the administration to address the aspects that would have contributed to the situation. Dr Luncheon was at the time speaking during an interview on Saturday on the National Communications Network (NCN).

“It is not a task beyond us, and indeed, in the new beginnings, we have to address those aspects that have contributed to the situation we are in… with natural disasters, we speak of risk management, rapid response, litigation, adaptation, preparedness… these have to be applied assiduously to the process that is ongoing in Linden,” Dr Luncheon stated.
He believes that it is difficult to imagine that a matter as tariff increases for public utilities could have indeed morphed into the situation that is currently unveiling in Linden. “It allows us to recognise that situation obviously had to be created, promoted, pondered to and in hindsight, the efforts that need to be taken to prevent matters from getting out of hand to continuing to exhort good command and control of disputes, how to handle disputes, I think was one of the lessons we learnt,” Dr Luncheon said.
“For us, it is quite clear, our unhappiness about the negotiation process… we frequently feel betrayed as one reads and calls the literature that amasses by our security elements about what (Sharma) Solomon and (Aubrey) Norton are saying, and are not saying… we couldn’t help but feel betrayed,” Dr Luncheon said.
He opined that a way forward would be to ensure the highest level of transparency during the negotiation process. “Let us have the stakeholders, not to have them suffer the indignity that was foisted on them during our recent meetings… let the Lindeners, stakeholders attend these negotiations with observers to ensure what is said and what is reported is precisely what transpired, and the information being sent out there properly reflects what was said and happened,” Dr Luncheon said.
Going forward
What has been occupying the attention of the administration is how to reconcile this argument of peaceful protest and the form in which it has taken in Linden with what actually is occurring, he said. “Can we accurately and in all honesty identify what aspects and, in what point in time do we depart from these notions of peaceful protest to accommodate what is happening on the ground in Linden?” Dr Luncheon asked.
“On the night of August 9 into the early mornings of August 10, we had another example of what is being called peaceful protest and its consequences… the joint services indeed have categorically denied any such involvement of provoking the situation… records would show that at that hour in the morning, the blockage at Kara Kara – the entry into the township persisted,” Dr Luncheon emphasised.
The HPS believes that the sensational reporting on the Benschop radio followed by articles published on Demerara Waves, were contributory factors that led to that flare up, coupled with poor command and control by the leadership of those protesting.
The issue of security, the involvement of the administration, the mobilisation of the Joint Services to open the road and remove the blockades, and to ensure freedom of assembly, movement to allow for trade, commerce and business, especially since school will be opening soon are things the administration is constitutionally bound to handle, the Cabinet secretary noted.
“I can’t imagine an environment that we have today being cultivated by the protestors and those who claimed to be leading the protestors being cultivated at a time of the commencement of the school year… we have to move… a responsive administration had to take on the responsibility of clearing the roads,” Luncheon explained.
On the night of the unfortunate incident, the administration advised Guyanese of its intention of having an immediate full-scale investigation into the incident. “From July 19 to today, considerable efforts in conjunction with the parliamentary opposition have been made in constituting a presidential commission of inquiry… the terms of reference have been jointly worked out with the joint opposition and efforts are ongoing to identify members… both within Guyanese domestically and Caricom to constitute the actual commission,” Dr Luncheon explained.
He added that getting to the bottom of the July 18 shooting and to be able to understand, appreciate and disclose all of the events that lead to that faithful shooting are the commitments of the administration.