THE women’s arm of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), in a statement vehemently condemned the reckless and deliberate destruction of public property, including the One-Mile Primary School at Linden. “This total disrespect for Guyanese tax payers’ sweat and labour, and the total disregard for the rights of the children of Linden to education and advancement are acts which must not be condoned. We call on the authorities to take immediate action against the perpetrators, who, in our opinion, are extremist elements of cowardly politicians working to attain their selfish opportunistic goals through criminal violence and terrorist actions,” the WPO declared.
It added, that it views with grave concern the position being taken (or not taken) by opposition political parties on the Linden issue.
“Their noticeable silence on the Linden rampage seeking to destroy the livelihood of the majority of the people of Linden and a vast section of our Amerindian communities can only be construed as an attitude of those guilty of being in cohorts with criminals and arsonists. Destroying the future of children is cowardly, disdainful, and outright obnoxious,” the WPO charged.
The organisation said it is unequivocal in its condemnation of threats being meted out to the peaceful people of Linden, who would like to bring back some level of normalcy in their lives.
“We would like to bring to the attention of all those sitting on the sidelines, as well as the cohorts, that it is the women and children who suffer most in a situation of conflict and violence. The children of Linden in particular will have to live with this trauma throughout their lives and will one day pen their disappointment that the adult population of this promising mining town of Linden had failed them,” the WPO said.
It added: “We reiterate our call for those responsible for the Linden fires and malicious destruction of public property to be brought to bear the full force of the law. Furthermore, those responsible for inciting racial hatred and hostility, whether directly or indirectly (by hosting social networks or otherwise), should be criminally charged, for they have become a social disease and must be immediately quarantined at all cost.”