Georgetown : A Private Sector Commission team led by interim chairman, Mr. Clinton Urling met A Partnership for National Unity’s Brigadier David Granger and Dr Rupert Roopnaraine to discuss last Wednesday’s killings and the civil protests in Linden.
The PSC members expressed their concern over the loss of life and the threat to the business climate in the mining community. Members noted that employment and investment could be affected by the closure of mining, call-centre and other enterprises unless the situation was stabilized.
APNU’s team said that the Government had to accept full responsibility for the situation in Linden which has been smouldering for over three months. It felt that the loss of life which resulted from the police decision to use live ammunition against an unarmed crowd involved in a civil protest was preventable. The police, clearly, had no intention to use minimum force by employing batons, shields and water cannon. APNU demanded an independent, judicial inquiry into the killings.
Brigadier Granger reiterated his call for face-to-face dialogue between the central government and the regional administration, the non-imposition of increased electricity tariffs from 1st July, the introduction of the promised economic recovery programme and the menu of measures including liberalizing of the television and broadcasting media which Lindeners had been demanding for several years.
APNU welcomed the Private Sector Commission’s expressions of interest to contribute towards resolving the crisis.
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