Women and children suffered terribly during recent protests – female MPs

A clarion call for peace was echoed by women government representatives who zeroed-in on events in the recent weeks and months that had a profound impact on women and children.
At a panel discussion on the National Communication Network (NCN) on Sunday, the unfolding of events under the new dispensation after the November 28, 2011 general election, actions of the one-seat majority parliamentary opposition, “politically instigated” tensions in Linden and Agricola, and the startling revelations during the Linden Commission of Inquiry (CoI) hearings, came under sharp focus.
Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Human Services and Social Security  Minister Jennifer Webster, Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament Dr Vindhya Persaud, who appeared on the programme, bemoaned the negative impact such events had on the country that the ruling party “rebuilt” and “developed” over the last 20 years.

“Post 2011 elections… it’s a different political environment we’re working in, where it seems to be fraught with political extremism, with bullyism… on the vicious cycle of trying to create an environment that is best looking unstable or nearing towards instability,” Teixeira said in her opening statement.
The Linden and Agricola protests were marked by violent clashes between police and protestors that were widely believed to have been incited by opposition politicians, but the panellists, while discussing the issues, focused on impacts the two incidents had on women, the elderly and children.
“I walked among some of the crowd (at Agricola) and actually spoke with several persons and several children were agitated, weren’t able to do their homework, and it had a very severe impact on family life,” Minister Webster said.
The Agricola protest stemmed from the shooting to death of Agricola youth Shaquille Grant and escalated after one of the police officers charged in connection with the shooting appeared at the Georgetown’s Magistrate’s Court in October.
They were apparently angry that the rank arrived in a police vehicle, rather than a prison van and the others implicated did not show up.
The media reported that utterances by head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon started the unrest, but the government side was convinced that the ultimatum given by Alliance For Change (AFC) members Nigel Hughes and Moses Nagamootoo was the cause.
It was the view of the panellists that women and children should not be the ones exposed to such acts, and that Guyanese, (whether for or against the government) are getting turned off.
Teixeira believes that the women representatives in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the AFC share similar sentiments, but are hesitant to speak because of allegiance.
The “inciting role” played by the media, particularly the social media and the responsibility of journalists to report the truth with impartiality and the country’s interest at heart were also noted by the panellists.
“Even though it’s a small segment of the population, it speaks about the image of our country as well, and I think we have to be very careful,” Minister Rodrigues-Birkett said.
As a newcomer, MP Persaud is disappointed with the way things are playing out in the highest decision making body of the land, which she describes as a “battlefield”, and is hoping to make a contribution.
“Going in there, I went with a sense of enthusiasm, and also a sense of expectancy, because as I figured with this new dispensation as it is called, they would be at a level of maturity… however, I must say, I am very disappointed with what has unfolded.”
Even with the caution from President Donald Ramotar against a gridlock, the Partnership for National Unity (APNU) (26 seats) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) (seven), gave them the advantage to exact vengeance in the 10th Parliament, the government has contended.