Guyana Chronicle
March 27, 2001

DIALOGUE is not likely to take place under the atmosphere created in Georgetown yesterday afternoon by the demonstrations started by supporters of the People's National Congress Reform (PNC/Reform).

Police confirmed several persons were beaten and robbed as the PNC/R supporters who had gathered outside the High Court, began dispersing through streets of the city after the adjournment was taken in the court challenge by the PNC/R against the swearing-in of President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Panic swept the city as the crowds began moving through the streets and the dreadful images began surfacing again of the beatings and other atrocities triggered by PNC anti-government street demonstrations in Georgetown for months after the December 15, 1997 general elections.

Calm had prevailed in Georgetown since the elections of last week Monday, despite the unrest that began in Buxton and several other East Coast Demerara villages after results from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) showed the PNC/R had lost the elections to the incumbent People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

People were going about their business as usual in Georgetown yesterday, markets were beginning to attract some business after the lull of last week, and store owners had reopened their doors with hope that whatever challenge there was by the PNC/R to their loss, would be kept within the doors of the High Court.

No such luck.
Pandemonium swept through the city as the crowds of protesters began dispersing around streets and in a flash, stores slammed their doors shut and people began running helter-skelter for shelter.

A gas station was damaged, vehicles smashed, people were beaten and robbed and police had to use teargas and pellets to disperse the crowds.

Police confirmed reports of the beatings.

The Army was out on "containment patrols" with the police and the peace and calm that had prevailed over the city was swept away as the protesters went on the move.

As we noted yesterday, some observers had felt that the unrest stirred on the East Coast last week signalled that the PNC was digging in to follow the course it set after refusing to accept it had lost the December 1997 elections, which were also endorsed by regional, local and international observers.

We also noted that while it outlined a series of concerns, the PNC/R, in a studied statement, over the weekend called for dialogue.

It said that "as a responsible political party that is committed to the proper representation of its supporters (it) calls for immediate dialogue on the fundamental issues, which are of deep concern to a major sector of our society."

"The PNC Reform will continue to put Guyana First and work assiduously for the development of all the people of Guyana", it promised.

Dialogue, clearly, cannot be expected to take place in the atmosphere triggered by the fear from the violent incidents in Georgetown yesterday afternoon.