POLITICAL opportunism, convenience and adventurism – the incident which led to the shooting deaths at Linden that involved two young males, is most unfortunate and wrong on so many levels. President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who visited the grieving families, has stated that an independent investigation will be conducted with the assistance of the Regional Security System (RSS), members of which were scheduled to arrive on Friday afternoon.

President Ali stated that “action” would be taken following the investigation. He appealed then to the protesting Lindeners to be calm and let peace reign while they waited for the probe’s outcome. He listened to the other requests made by the families, which called for reform of the police force operations in the region, for the state to cover the full burial expenses and for other assistance for the families as they navigated this difficult period.

Plenty of politicians flocked to Linden, though not all out of genuine concern. APNU+AFC MPs Sherod Duncan and Amanza Walton-Desir showed up, as did PNC Regional Chairman Deron Adams, PNC Mayor Sharma Solomon, AFC Leader Nigel Hughes and Simona Broomes, founder of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP)—alongside the usual parade of opposition regulars. Not to be left out, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton—despite being out of the country—made sure his voice echoed loud enough to stay relevant.

While a select few put on their best faces for the cameras, calling for calm and peaceful protest as the world looked on, others were busy fanning the flames—roiling up the crowd and directly contributing to the violence and destruction of public property that followed.

There were others, mostly the PNC high-ranking officials and foot soldiers, fanning the flames of racial hate, ethnic insecurity, and division. They wanted a rebellion against the PPP government and the Guyana Police Force. They wanted, it would appear, a full-scale confrontation with the other lawmen who were only trying to maintain law and order, but kept being assaulted with bottles, missiles and other debris.

Firstly, those deaths could have been avoided point blank. The circumstances which led to the young men’s deaths must be fully and independently investigated. There should be a Terms of Reference agreed upon by the families and the government. There is the local Office of Professional Responsibility that probes these instances of police excesses or breaches, and they must be allowed to do their work along with the wider GPF. The RSS, an agency attached to CARICOM, must provide oversight every step of the way in this matter. No stone must be left unturned in arriving at the truth and facts of the case.

Lindeners deserve the truth and the nation deserves answers. There must be frankness, openness, and transparency in this investigation from the time it commences to its conclusion. There must be no cover-up by the police or government. The people will be looking and watching every detail before forming an opinion if they are not already suspicious of trusting the process. Lindeners, residents of Region 10 generally and all Guyanese are justified in their collective stance that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done.

Secondly, the president handled the situation with caution and care. He did not condemn anyone without a fair trial but instead said they must let the investigation run its full course. President Ali’s deportment was one filled with empathy and sympathy for the grieving families. Not one time did he point a finger or go swaying into politics, but he appeared more concerned about consoling the families and residents who were there from Linden.

He showed great responsibility and committed his government to looking at the interests of the families who were understandably very emotional and outraged at the shootings, which took place before and amid the protest action. The president demonstrated, by how he handled the entire ordeal, that he was President of all of Guyana, inclusive of Linden, which was considered the PNC or APNU stronghold or enemy territory.

Thirdly, the political opposition was careless in handling the frustration and outrage expressed by Lindeners. Many were too reactive and excited about what had taken place in the mining town. They were overjoyed that the people of Linden were protesting the alleged treatment by the police. They did not want peace and calm to prevail. And that is why the regional and mayoral representatives and politicians inserted themselves into the ordeal. Sharma, Adams and their emissaries wanted to, allegedly, advise the families and Lindeners to continue the protest.
The trio continued to hurl verbal attacks at the PPP/C government and the police for the protest. The public was disappointed to hear the general statements attributed to Norton and Hughes. They were riddled with political lies and mistruths. There should have been strong messages about the deaths of the young men and even calls for an investigation, but they veered off into attacking the PPP/C government and seeking to ostracise the police force by bringing the trumped-up claim of extrajudicial killings shamefully to the fore.

These men are without decency and integrity. They are unpresidential lackeys who ventured into political opportunism. They fed on the grief, pain and unfortunate circumstances of Lindeners and, by extension, Guyanese, to exact a certain political outcome. They do not care about the people or their pain or even the safety and well-being of the police, for that matter. Norton, Hughes and the handful of opposition politicians were there to exacerbate the protests and take aim at the PPP/C government.

Let’s be clear and reasonable: The PPP nor the government played no role in the saga. The regional and governance systems failed the people of Linden, including the Mayor and the Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council. Now, it is all good for the government to step in, but the entire Region 10 must demand answers from their leaders.

What did Sharma, Adams, and the opposition politicians do as Mayor, MPs, and local representatives to stop the understandably upset protestors from storming the bridge? Did they spread outright lies, misinformation and racism as part of the whisper campaign in Linden to try and cause unrest there?
What was the conversation the mayor had with the Commander of the Region 10 police in relation to the de-escalation of the unlawful protest? Who tried to convince the families to shun the president during the planned visit?

Why did Solomon seemingly refuse to shake the president’s hand and show the most basic form of respect? Was this a plan for elections? There are many more chilling questions to be asked.
Finally, the government is advised not to get itself drawn into this game of collateral damage. This is the politics of convenience and opportunism. The government is afforded yet another opportunity to flip the script on the opposition and offer to the people of Region 10 a thorough, professional and credible investigation. It must make good on all its promises and seek to offer the families counselling and all the resources so that we can rebound from this as a town and nation.

Let the chips fall where they may and sit back, as the truth may take a long time to be found, but when found, it is always clear and certain. In the end, justice is not always as quick, but it is sure.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.