AS the debate on the no-confidence motion, tabled by leader of the Opposition, David Granger, against Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, continued Monday, government Members of Parliament urged the National Assembly to avoid pre-emptive conclusions on the findings of the Commission of Inquiry to be launched to investigate the July 18 shooting of Linden protestors. Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud, said that a full inquiry should be supported so that decisions that are made in the House would be based on empirical data and evidence on what actually occurred.
“This motion which seeks to remove the honourable member…is a dangerous road we are setting out on…I am getting the impression that the honourable members on the other side of the House are not interested in engaging in a debate against this motion and its issues, but are rather only waiting on it to end so that they can vote and once again remind this House that 33 is more than 32,” Minister Persaud said.
The minister emphasised that what occurred in Linden is not reflective of responsible leadership, but rather the converse, as the leaders of any protest must ensure their followers are led with such authority and responsibility so that the rights of all are maintained.
PPP MP, Mrs. Indra Chandarpal, said that the question of electricity has always been one of affordability, thus the need for government to intervene, as the people needed help.
“Not only Linden is affected by poverty… all over this country there are pockets of poverty where people are unemployed; at the same time, there are many communities, even though they are poor and depressed, they still take care of their electricity bills,” Chandarpal said.
She said the engagement between government and the people of Linden must continue, adding that a trip to the town during the day would find Lindeners having their lights on, when those who reside on the coastland are forced to exercise responsibility in ensuring that lights are off.
“We need to change the attitude and mindset of people as to the way they utilise electricity…somebody has to pay for it and it is unfair to all the people who are exercising discretion to pay when others are wasting power,” Chandarpal said.
Minister of Human Services, Jennifer Webster said that while the incident is most unfortunate, specifically at this time in the country’s history, all the citizens of Guyana are paying attention to the issue, which is a national one.
“It is therefore important and necessary for all of us to accept that we must provide leadership in the interest of all our people…President Ramotar gave his commitment for a full and independent investigation to be held into the events which occurred on July 18, including the deaths,” Minister Webster explained.
She added that she supports the initiative of President Ramotar to establish a Commission of Inquiry, and is confident that government will follow the recommendations which will result from that inquiry.
“This motion is premature; and I would therefore say that I am not in agreement with the motion in its current form,” Minister Webster said.
As the debate on the no-confidence motion against Minister Rohee continued, both government and opposition MPs continued to express emphatically, their position on the Linden situation.
APNU MP, Winston Felix said that citizens have a right to protest, and the Guyana Police Force is  trained to deal with crowd control issues; as such, what happened shows that there was not adequate preparation to confront the issue at Linden.