THE Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (COI) hearings are slated to begin today at the Supreme Court Law Library, despite having been marred by several controversies over the Commission’s composition and its Terms of Reference (TOR).And the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is standing by its decision not to participate in the Commission of Inquiry, a decision that was made last Friday, four days before the hearings were scheduled to commence.
According to the party, the decision was reached after a meeting of its Central Executive Committee.
The PNCR’s position is a sticky one, given the allegations that the then PNC Government engineered Dr. Rodney’s assassination.
More recently, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) announced that it will participate in the COI hearings, despite its concerns.
The Union, in a statement on Sunday, noted that it has hired Civil Rights Lawyer Selwyn A. Pieters.
The statement also said, “The GTUC met the commissioners when they were on their exploratory visit and expressed concerns with the Terms of Reference (ToR). Dr. Walter Rodney remains a national and international figure and in the present circumstance cannot be looked at as the property of a specific family or group, for he belongs to all of us, and consultation as to the way forward in arriving at the truth should have involved everyone.”
The GTUC said it strongly holds the view that the TOR should have had the input of all the Members of the National Assembly since this was the forum that authorised and approved the decision for an inquiry.
“…the GTUC is conscious of its role as a national organisation and guided by historical developments has taken a decision that it will not stand idly by and allow a national commission of this nature to commence and conclude without Labour making its position known.”
The Working People’s Alliance (WPA), a party founded by Dr Rodney, also expressed similar concerns. However, the party has opted to allow its members to testify as individuals at the hearings.
The Commissioners during the course of the hearings are expected to examine the facts and circumstances immediately prior to, at the time of and subsequent to the death of Rodney in order to determine, as far as possible, who or what was responsible for the explosion resulting in his death. The Commissioners are to enquire into the cause of the explosion in which Rodney died, including whether it was an act of terrorism and if so who were the perpetrators.
Among other things, the commissioners are to “specifically examine” the role, if any, which army officer Gregory Smith played in Rodney’s death and if so to inquire into who may have “counseled, procured, aided and or abetted” him to do so, including facilitating his departure from Guyana after Rodney’s death.

MEETINGS HELD
Chairman of the International Commission of Inquiry (COI) Sir Richard Cheltenham, in a prior comment, explained that meetings with the Commissioner of Police, Army Chief, political parties, Speaker of the National Assembly, Private Sector Commission, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and trade unions and other stakeholders have been held.
Cheltenham added that the lawyers attached to the Commission, who include Mr. Glen Hanoman, Ms. Latchmie Rahamat and Ms. Nicola Pierre, are currently helping witnesses to put their statements together in an orderly and relevant fashion.
President Donald Ramotar had agreed, in June 2013, to establish the COI following a request from the Rodney family after a previous inquiry ordered by former President Desmond Hoyte, in 1988, found that the historian/politician’s demise was caused by an ‘accident or misadventure’ and that met with grave disbelief.
Rodney was killed on June 13, 1980, when a bomb exploded in the car in which he was travelling. He was 38 years old at the time and nine years ago Parliament unanimously approved a motion to establish a commission to enquire into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The parliamentary motion that spawned the idea of establishment of the Commission of Inquiry stated thus: “On the 13th June, 1980, Dr. Walter Rodney, a distinguished Guyanese scholar, was assassinated by an explosion which occurred in his car at John and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown…Dr. Rodney was, at the time of his death, an eminent political leader engaged in a struggle against authoritarian rule for democracy and social justice…There have been calls for a full investigation into the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney, which have received broad support.
“…the National Assembly, in paying tribute to the memory of this illustrious son of Guyana, and on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his untimely and tragic death, supports an enquiry being conducted into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr. Rodney.”
After his assassination, Rodney received several honours posthumously, among them, in 1993, the Government of Dr. Cheddi Jagan conferred on him the country’s highest National Award, the Order of Excellence (OE) and the Walter Rodney Chair in History was created at the University of Guyana.
Last week, Members of Parliament (MPs) were unanimous in their approval of $112M to fund the work of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry. The allocation was listed under the Office of the President’s $2.2B current expenditure estimates.
Written By Vanessa Narine