IN the midst of the flurry of news of this week, there is the story of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry, which was launched by the previous Government to determine the circumstances under which the late scholar-activist met his demise on June 13, 1980. The new Government has instructed the CoI to wind down and the Commissioners to present their findings to the President by November. This decision did not get the approval of all concerned. While the WPA has not spoken on the matter, some of its members, along with the Justice for Walter Rodney Committee, which comprises party members, supporters and friends and admirers of Rodney, have called on the Government to extend the CoI so that key witnesses, such as the former Crime Chief Cecil ‘Skip’ Roberts and WPA co-leader Dr. Rupert Roopnarine could appear before the commission.
While they agree with the Government that the setting up of the commission by the PPP was politically motivated and that there was considerable financial wastage, they reasoned that the fact that the CoI has to do with the murder of a high profile opponent of the then Government, it is imperative that the Government be seen not to be overtly taking sides. As the WPA’s lawyer argued, justice cannot be measured in “dollars and cents”. This sentiment was expressed by the lawyer representing the Rodney family. And former president, Donald Ramotar, has issued a scathing statement in condemnation of the Government’s decision.
The Government, for its part, has not backed off from its decision. It may feel that its decision would find favour with Government supporters. On that score, it may not be wrong. Given the mass sentiments against Government wastage and corruption, and given the fact that the CoI was framed in those terms by the Government, it is hardly surprising that the decision is very popular.
There are a couple of problems here. First, the WPA, Rodney’s party, is part of the APNU and the Coalition Government in which the PNC, the party being accused of assassinating Rodney, is a major partner. To the best of our knowledge, there were no consultations between the two parties on the closing down of the CoI. The question here is this: Could this decision lead to a fracturing of relations in the Coalition?
Second, given the truncated CoI, would the PNC and the WPA accept the findings if they do not concur with their expectations. Both parties could conceivably point to an inclusive COI as a basis for rejecting the findings.
We understand the arguments on both sides and are not inclined to support one versus the other. Having said that, we feel that Walter Rodney’s family, friends and political colleagues deserve a definitive answer about what happened.
Yet the reality is that Walter Rodney and his legacy have become victims of our contentious politics. In the circumstances, this outstanding product of Guyana is denied his rightful place in the popular consciousness of the country. In the final analysis, the country is poorer because of it. May good sense prevail and may Guyana be spared a new round of finger-pointing on this matter.