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Trotman who is a co-founder and Executive Member of the AFC denied a request by the Peole’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) government for a debate on the Agricola unrest as a matter of urgent public business at the October 23rd sitting of the National Assembly.
AFC Chairman, Nigel Hughes and its Vice-Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo warned of the protest if President Donald Ramotar failed to act on their ultimatum for the removal of Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee. Hughes had publicly said his party was not interested in peace but rather was going to use any means necessary to get rid of Rohee.
On October 11 mayhem erupted in the Agricola community after the AFC orchestrated protest went out of control resulting in women and girls being fondled, sexually abused, the robbery of innocent persons, the blocking of roads and burning of tyres. The police were stoned with bricks/bottles and attacked with cutlasses. They prevented the fire service from putting out the fires. A second effort to block the road on Monday, October 15 was thwarted by the police after they quickly responded to calls about such.
It is a widely held view that most of the protesters were imported into Agricola to create the mayhem along the East Bank corridor.
Trotman has attracted constant criticism over his partisan decisions in Parliament which favours the opposition, especially the AFC/APNU.
Several of his rulings in parliament have supported the opposition’s agenda in the furtherance of their illegal and unconstitutional attempts to gain control.
During the parliamentary session at which the motion was rejected, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds as Leader of Government business in the house had said the behaviour of Hughes has led the government to form the opinion that the chairman did not care whether his party adopted responsible or destructive methods to achieve their objectives.”
Hinds said it is the government’s opinion that AFC chose the less noble method of instigating, urging, causing and leading unrest, at the expense of ensuring all the people in Agricola were caught up in the mayhem.
“We condemn the attempts by the opposition to destabilise our country as a method of getting into power. We condemn their selfish, callous disregard for the safety and welfare of our people and their readiness to sacrifice peace and public order in our country in their attempt to remove the PPP/C from office,” he asserted.
PPP/C chief whip who piloted the motion for debate on the Agricola unrest had said, from the language of AFC Vice- Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo, it appears as though that party did have some involvement in the unrest.
Nagamootoo had, earlier, said his party believes that the right of the citizens to protest peacefully is circumscribed by the law. “We recognise, however, the anger of ordinary citizens who suffered grief and loss of life by police bullets, their anger not to be provoked and not to be challenged to rumble and not to be mocked and taunted by officials of the State,” he added.
Presidential Adviser on Governance, Gail Teixeira had insisted that the issue had to be debated because “violent and violently orchestrated events like that pose threats to our democracy. And in that particular event, on October 11, they threatened the lives of ordinary citizens who are innocent.”
Teixeria said it was a “travesty” that the Speaker of the Parliament did not see the Agricola unrests as a matter of urgent public attention but have allowed other matters of lesser significance to be debated in the house since he took over the speakership.
