-denounces any attempt by the opposition parties to discredit the COI
THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said it welcomes the appointment of the distinguished members of the Dr. Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (COI), and denounces any attempt by the opposition parties to discredit the COI and its members.

The Commission is headed by Barbadian Queen’s Counsel, Richard Cheltenham, and includes Guyanese-born Senior Counsel, Seenauth Jairam, who has been practicing in Trinidad and Tobago since 1979 and is now head of the Bar Association in that country, and Jamaican Queen’s Counsel, Jacquelene Samuels- Brown, who is the Chairperson of the Council of Legal Education.
The PPP said that A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) criticism of the Terms of Reference (TOR), and attacks on the credibility and impartiality of the Guyanese born Senior Counsel from Trinidad, Seenauth Jairam, are mere tactics being employed to discredit the work of the Commission.
A statement issued by the PPP said: “Despite his public statement to the effect that he is not afraid of the outcome of the COI, David Granger’s every utterance and action seems to be one of uneasiness and apprehension at the least. The PNCR Leader and his Executive have every reason to be fearful of the revelations that would flow from the inquiry into Walter Rodney’s untimely death.”
“The PPP wishes to remind that the Commission of Inquiries Act resides with the President. He alone has exclusive power to appoint a Commission of Inquiry on such terms constituted by those whom he deemed fit in any matter of national concern.”
“In establishing the Terms of Reference and the appointment of members to form the COI, the President had taken into consideration a request made by Mrs. Patricia Rodney, widow of the late Dr. Walter Rodney, not to involve the WPA or the PNCR by way of consultations. It is our understanding that Mrs. Rodney did not want the process to be politicised.”
“Had David Granger himself drafted the Terms of Reference (TOR), he would still be uncomfortable. Because since Rodney’s death, the accusatory finger has always pointed in the direction of the political party he now leads, the People’s National Congress Reform -PNCR.”
The PPP added that it hopes that the PNCR uses this occasion to exonerate and absolve its members, past and present, from any wrongdoing that resulted in the death of this world renowned Guyanese politician/historian on June 13, 1980.
“The PPP calls upon the leadership of both PNCR and the Working People’s Alliance -WPA (the political party that Rodney led at the time of his death), to fully cooperate with the COI, and to submit their written memoranda to the Commission by the deadline date of March 26 of this year. The People of Guyana expect the full participation and cooperation of both PNC and WPA to finally bring closure to the family of the late Dr. Walter Rodney,” the statement said.
“Perhaps the outcome of this Commission of Inquiry will unlock yet another mystery, one that will provide some clue to justify the reason Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, and other senior members of the WPA would agree to collaborate and ‘lay in bed’ with the same PNCR that is widely believed to have caused the death of the WPA’s founding member/leader. This great betrayal must surely have Walter Rodney turning over in his grave every day,” the PPP contended.
The PPP noted that it is ironic that David Granger, who was once regarded as the GDF Political Liaison Officer to the PNCR Leader and Head of State, the late Forbes Burnham in 1973 and possibly at the time of Rodney’s death, always seem to have the perfect alibi… “I was not there.”
The PPP recalled that in 1973 when the GDF seized the ballot boxes after the general elections, Granger proclaimed he was not in Georgetown and nowhere near his GDF Headquarters where the ballot boxes were taken, opened and stuffed with PNC ballots that gave them a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
The party also charged that he again denied being on location at No. 63 Village on the Corentyne, when GDF soldiers opened fire on a crowd protesting the GDF seizure of ballot boxes there, and demanding that the integrity of the ballot boxes be protected. Two innocent patriots, 45 year-old Parmanand Bholanauth and 17 year-old Jagan Ramessar were killed by GDF bullets. Granger has said repeatedly he was not there; he did not shoot anyone, he argues that he was exonerated of any wrongdoing in a previous inquest. Then, in a recent statement, Granger insisted that he was “on travel duties overseas” when Rodney was killed.
“Yet the same David Granger and his PNCR/APNU were adamant that Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee was directly responsible for the unfortunate shooting to death of the three ‘peaceful protestors’ during the Linden riots of July 2012 although Rohee was not there, did not shoot anyone and was exonerated in 2013 of any wrongdoing by the Linden Commission of Inquiry. Where is the justification for calling for Rohee’s removal from office?” the PPP asserted.

The PPP reiterated its call for the PNCR and WPA to fully cooperate with the COI by submitting written memoranda to the Commission on or before the deadline date of March 26.