FIRST the good news-Linden and the government have reached an agreement on the way forward. On the surface it looks fair and fine. The leadership in Linden must now show their ability to make Linden a success and not a source of unrest. The not so good news is that as some letter writers have already noted is the fear that Linden, whatever the issues, may be able to hold the rest of Guyana hostage in the future in planning for projects in the interior.
Another writer believes that government may have opened a door for other areas to follow Linden’s example. He was concerned that government’s pledge to rebuild all damaged infrastructure which is rewarding bad behaviour. It is also true that it will be money from all taxpayers that could have been better spent in Linden and elsewhere. Other concerns are whether some of the provisions such as land selection, TV stations, ability to pay national electricity rates and some other concessions will be offered to all regions in Guyana. The issue it seems is not the negotiating with any region but the methods used to bring it about.

It is clear that most of the agreement is fair, with some things that should have been done already. Hopefully, the Economic Commission will see what was attempted and why it was not more successful due to local or national leadership failures. There may be one or two clauses that could cause problems in interpretation. It is imperative that there only be widespread involvement by Lindeners, but there be a strong, oversight body, including from  civil society. There is a need to ensure that these agreements are enforced and the terms clearly outlined to prevent any haggling or attempts to add or take away from what is agreed. The government must keep the public informed on the status of this agreement through the media.