– in light of increased Linden electricity tariff
THE main opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has signaled its intentions to create “unrest” in the mining town of Linden and cut off access to the interior, in a bid to pressure the government into cancelling its plans to increase electricity rates in the town described by members of the opposition as “impoverished”.
At a public meeting in the mining town Saturday, APNU’s Aubrey Norton reminded that Linden is the gateway to the interior and residents with the support of the party will use that to their fullest advantage “We have to be prepared to do what is required to achieve our objective. We stand at the gateway to the interior. I say no more.”
Norton called on Lindeners of all ages to join the “struggle” to pressure the Donald Ramotar administration into abandoning the plan of increasing the electricity tariff.
“We must mobilise our children, we must mobilize the youth, we must mobilize ourselves and we must be ready to do what we require to stop this government from bringing repression to the people of Linden.”
Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) Chairman Sharma Solomon said that Lindeners have been able to mobilise themselves and can shut things down, “we can shut things down so I am saying to you that our actions are not many. Our action remains one- our act is that we are not going to pay a single cent increase”.
Norton, who pledged to go to Linden and help to mobilize for a “disciplined political struggle,” entreated police support, saying that they were also victims of government’s maladministration. “In this struggle, we will do everything possible to work well with the police. We know (Home Affairs Minister) Rohee has an ignorant squad he will send,” he said.
“The task at hand is to ensure that this government backs down and let me tell you this government does not understand reason…And so the only solution to this government comes from pressure, more pressure …we have to put them in the pressure,’ he said.
Several years ago, anti-government activists had blocked the Mc Kenzie-Wismar Bridge across the Demerara River, preventing fuel, food and other supplies from being shuttled into mining operations in huge sections of the interior including the Rupununi. Riot police eventually intervened and dispersed the crowd.
THE government yesterday accused the main opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) of “deliberately pushing for instability” after the opposition party threatened to “shut things down” in Linden and cut off access to the mineral-rich interior, if the government does not quash its plan to increase the Linden electricity tariff from July 1.
APNU’s Aubrey Norton and Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon told a public meeting in Wismar, Linden Saturday that residents cannot allow the government to move forward with the plan since the region cannot afford to pay more for electricity.
Responding to these calls, a senior government official said Monday that this call by APNU is “irresponsible, reckless and without merit”.
The official who asked not to be named since his comments were not officially from the government PR, said that the call is another demonstration that APNU is “the same old PNC in disguise” and accused the main opposition of “creating instability”.
“No responsible political party, or any grouping for that matter will not go to its supporters and publicly tell them to create instability, tell them to cut off access to any area, that is being irresponsible and reckless” the official said.
The same official is of the view that “better sense will prevail”.
“I believe and trust the people of Linden, I know better sense will prevail and Lindeners will reject this call by the APNU, the people know better” the official said.
The official also dismissed claims that the recent demonstration by the police with the water cannon was in preparations for possible street protest in Linden over the tariff hike.

From July 1 the new electricity tariffs in Linden will become effective. The increase in the tariff is due to a reduction in a government subsidy, but they still remain lower than what other consumers are paying in other communities across the country.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon at his last press conference noted that consumers in Linden are using an average two to three times more electricity than consumers from other parts of the country.
But regional authorities are claiming that residents and businesses cannot afford to pay more because of a 70 percent unemployment rate due to lack of expansion in agriculture and other business activities.
The government is arguing that with the more than GY$1B Guyana Power and Light (GPL) subsidy slashed from the budget by the opposition, it is seeking ways of recovering that through tariff increases.
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh had said that based on the economics, Linden will have to face a tariff increase since the mining community is paying between GY$5 and GY$15 for a kilowatt of electricity as against the average GY$65 the rest of the country is paying.
He had said too that the increase is part of the GPL efforts of bringing the mining town into the national grid.
But the Region 10 Chairman last week argued that is not a case where Linden is being charged too little for electricity but rather one where the rest of the country is overcharged by GPL. He said too, that it is not that Lindeners are refusing to pay the increase but it is a case whereby they cannot afford it.
Chairman of opposition Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan indicated his support for the increase to be halted.
An opposition motion is expected in the National Assembly soon in attempt to have the government remove the increases.