A PARTNERSHIP for National Unity Member of Parliament, Christopher Jones yesterday announced that should the government keep the idea of a tariff increase on the table, then the Linden residents will remain on the streets, protesting the move. Jones called on the government to take the tariff issues completely off the table since Lindeners will “never” accept the increase.
He was at the time speaking to some two hundred persons who gathered at the Square of the Revolution yesterday at an APNU rally to mourn the passing of the three Lindeners who were shot by the police in the mining town Wednesday last week as they protested the increase in their electricity tariff which came into effect from July 1, 2012. Last week the community launched a five day shutdown of the town that continues to hurt the economy of the community and other mining communities that are accessed through linden.
Jones encouraged the residents of Linden to remain on the streets until the tariff increase proposal is completely taken off the table by the government. He said that there will be no falling by the APNU into the trap of signing agreements, since the administration has a track record of backpedalling on agreements it made with previous parliament opposition leaders.
The gathering was addressed by various speakers, including the leader of the Parliamentary Opposition and Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity, David Granger, and outgoing leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Robert Corbin.
The speakers at the rally also renewed their calls for the Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee to resign.
In his address to the crowd, Opposition Leader, David Granger encouraged those gathered to stay focused and realise that their struggle is not in vain. He said that this struggle will not be like the rest where the protests and expression of disapproval of certain actions of the government where demonstrations were held for a few days and then everyone went home.
He also encouraged the gathering to get ready to march to Parliament Building, where a sitting was in session, and to call for a no confidence in the Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee.
By noon yesterday the protesters began marching along Brickdam as they made their way to the Parliament Building.
It was only after the crowd had arrived in front of the Parliament that the police scrambled to erect barriers in front of the building.
By the time the crowd gathered in front of Parliament, it was swollen by a large number of persons coming from the Stabroek Market area.
The crowd became excited as opposition MPs arrived for the sitting, cheering them on. This caused the police to take up positions closer to the gates to the forecourt of the building, holding back the crowd as they pressed forward.
Many government MPs used the back entrance to get into the Parliament chamber. Among these were Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, Minister within the Finance Ministry, Juan Edghill and Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee.
As Opposition Leader, David Granger arrived, the crowd greeted him with hugs and shouted “Rohee must go”.
As the sitting in the National Assembly began, the crowd ignored a call from Granger that they remain outside during the sitting, and soon just a handful persons remained, with a few placards.