Ramotar says disappointed in Govt’s reaction to Rodney CoI

Former President Donald Ramotar believes the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government is sending clear signals that it is preparing to reject the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report.

Ramotar, who had initially launched the CoI into the death of Dr Walter Rodney, issued a statement on Wednesday, registering his disappointment in the way the coalition Administration handled the entire situation.

“I am extremely disturbed and disappointed at the way the APNU/AFC regime has treated the Commission of Inquiry,” he stated.

Given its consistent negative reactions towards the CoI from the inception, Ramotar said he strongly believes the Government is prepared to reject the report.

“Unfortunately from the beginning the APNU/PNC-led Government showed great hostility to Rodney. They brought the inquiry to a pre-mature end after millions were already spent on this project. They seem uninterested in getting to the truth or afraid to have the truth exposed,” Ramotar stated.

He explained when he established the CoI, his hope was to bring closure to the horrible episode in Guyana’s history and heal the wound to the nation’s conscience.

Additionally, he said it was aimed at bringing closure to Dr Rodney’s family.

He highlighted that the circumstances surrounding Rodney’s death has left a gaping wound in the conscience of the Guyanese society and it has also damaged the reputation of our country among democratic and peace loving people in the world.

“In bringing closure, I had hoped that bringing out the truth would have helped to heal many of the rifts that exist in our society,” Ramotar stated.

It is therefore against this backdrop that the former President found the Government’s nonchalant treatment towards the CoI rather insulting and disrespectful.

He made reference to the recent handover of the CoI report, where President David Granger, due to his busy schedule, was unable to meet with the Commissioners for a formal ceremony.

The initial date set for the handover of the report was postponed after the Commissioners ran out of ink to print the document.  The event was therefore postponed.

However, on the second confirmed date, the President was unavailable to meet with the Commissioners and instructed that they leave the report with the Attorney General’s (AG) Secretary.

The Commissioners acted accordingly, however, shortly afterwards, the AG declared that they acted in a “disrespectful” manner. His statements prompted the Commission’s Chairman, Sir Richard Cheltenham to issue a statement explaining the series of events that transpired.

Subsequently, the President released his own statement, expressing his disappointment in the Commissioners’ inability to deliver the report on the initial date and explained that he had decided to attend prior engagements rather than meet with the Commissioners on the second date, which was tentatively scheduled. Commenting on this development, Ramotar said Government’s behaviour is “unpardonable”.

Dr Walter Rodney was one of Guyana’s most renounced scholars and revolutionary. He was not just a patriot of our country but a man who commanded the respect of the international community. He was held in very high esteem among the fighters for social emancipation in the Region and further afield, particularly in Africa.