Linden pact signed

– Agreement provides a “sense of relief and hope” – PM Hinds

By Ariana Gordon

Government and the administration of Region 10 on Tuesday signed an agreement which when implemented could revitalise the area’s economic development and independence.

Three key issues form part of the agreement signed at the Office of the President (OP). These include: suspension of the electricity tariff increase that is pending review by a bipartisan committee, the opening of the broadcast spectrum for the people of Linden and the examination of possible economic proposals.
The signing was pushed back from Monday, owing to the objection of the Region 10 administration to the second clause that formed part of the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the death of three persons who were protesting the hike in tariffs on July 18.
That contentious clause was withdrawn from the ToR, paving the way for the signing of the agreement (the total package). The withdrawn clause called for the CoI to investigate whether political parties were involved in the organisation and mobilisation of the people of Linden for protest action that resulted in three Lindeners being killed and more than a dozen injured.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who represented President Donald Ramotar, said that the signing of the agreement provides a “sense of relief and hope”. He noted that it is always the intention of the administration to ensure that there are equal rights and justice for all Guyanese.
“We recognise that the way to get to a better life, we must focus on improving the education and skill of all our peoples and also to work to improving harmony in our country… We recognise that there are significant differences in the way we view things… We recognise that with a good resolution would come great satisfaction and achievement of our country and… we have the hope that this signing here would be the first step in a great change in our country, a great change for the better, a great change for a more common understanding on how things have been and how things might be.”
Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon said the signing of the agreement marks the first step towards resolving many of the issues plaguing the once blooming bauxite town. “Linden and Region 10 see this agreement as the first step in the government of Guyana’s recognition of the people’s constitutional right to self-determination, economic, social and political involvement in decision making that impacts their lives.”
Dubbing the signing at the OP in the presence of members of both the government and opposition as “an achievement for Guyana”, Solomon said it signals what can be achieved “through mutual respect”.
He said the people of Region 10 and all Guyana will hold the current administration accountable for the delivery of good governance. “We have now reached another critical phase in the struggle of which is implementation. Notwithstanding yesterday’s setback… we are prepared to trust our national leaders. We will trust this regime to implement the agreement.. ,” he read from a prepared speech.
Civil society too has a role to play in ensuring that both the government and the opposition deliver on their commitments and responsibilities. Despite the optimism and hope, the regional chairman noted that the agreement is yet a “small step in the fight for equal rights and justice”, the cornerstone of the fight by the people of Linden.
He committed to fighting for the rights of the people of Region 10 and Linden, noting that his tenure will be premised on the rule of law. “We will leave this room today to continue the process of implementation….” Solomon, the youngest chairman to lead Linden, reiterated the region’s intent to develop working relations with both local and foreign businesses, noting that such participation is welcomed in alleviating unemployment in the mining town.
“Our only caveat is that we desire to do business with those who will respect us, our workers, and our law.” He promised the people of Linden to keep them abreast with the developments, as it relates to the issues agreed to by the regional administration and central government.
“I will keep you informed every step of the way. I will consult with you and represent your interest and fight with you to ensure that you get a just and fair society with social, cultural and economic input; you deserve a better life.”
Meanwhile, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, who was one of the negotiators for the people of Region 10 indicated that all parties are pleased with the agreements, noting that work can now commence in all directions. “We now have full agreement on the TORs for the CoI – we have also welcomed the appointment of the commissioners who have been named and I think that all obstacles to moving the CoI forward have been overcome.
We are ready as we sit here to initial and sign the ToR for the CoI – we have full agreement on all the terms and full agreement on the direction of the CoI and we look forward to it being established as early as it should be.”
Asked where the commission will sit and have its work conducted, Dr Roopnaraine said it has been proposed and is being arranged that the identified commissioners will “meet centrally where they have the supportive mechanisms, apparatus to work”.
He added, however, that the commissioners (Jamaican National Security Minister and Senior Counsel KD Knight; former Chief Justice of Jamaica, Lensley Wolfe, former independent senator in Trinidad and Tobago, Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal; former Chief Justice Cecil Kennard who is currently chairman of the local Police Complaints Authority; and former Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh) would travel to Linden and “take direct evidence from the people of Linden”.