Guyana Chronicle
April 11, 2001

PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has repeated his call for peace and stability in the country and has called on all "decent Guyanese to condemn the violent actions" of the main Opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R).

He expressed dismay at the destruction of buildings by fire in Georgetown Monday and said, "The GPSU (Guyana Public Service Union) and the PNC cannot distance themselves from these actions because they have created the climate for it to happen."

In a GTV 11 interview, he also condemned the criminal acts of violence on a section of the population.

"I think it is wrong and the nonsense should stop. It is within the capacity of the PNC to stop it; it is not going to help dialogue or give the PNC a stronger hand in the dialogue."

He said the current situation in Georgetown has also affected children.

"I am disappointed because the children are being affected...this must be traumatic for them."

Mr Jagdeo said it is sad because the whole country is affected by the unrest.

The PNC/C has mounted anti-government protests in Georgetown and along the East Coast Demerara.

"They are not affecting the PPP/C, they are affecting the commercial businesses and workers who will now be without jobs and the future because of no investment" since no investors would want to invest in a country that is unstable, the President noted.

"If (PNC/R leader) Mr (Desmond) Hoyte thinks that the street protests are going to force some concessions out of the government, that's wrong," President Jagdeo declared.

The President said he is committed to "working with anyone who wants to take the country forward, but working together." He stressed that this "will not be done through threats and intimidation."

Mr Jagdeo also disputed claims by opposition parties that the PPP/C has marginalised a section of the population.

He referred to Buxton and Linden where there has been tremendous progress.

"In Buxton the roads, drainage and irrigation, new schools, water supply systems are 100 per cent better today than they were when we took office," he pointed out.

The Head-of-State also recommitted himself to dialogue with Mr Hoyte and said he was still awaiting a response from Hoyte to his invitation for a meeting.

He yesterday also told reporters that Monday's fire in Georgetown was unfortunate.

"It is unfortunate because it is not going to affect the PPP/C per se, although it affects us in heart. It will affect the whole country, the business community, workers, investments coming into this country to create more jobs, the people of this country of all races would suffer," President Jagdeo said in an invited comment at the Office of the President.

"I think it is sad that it took place, and sad that until now the Opposition has not condemned it," he added, referring to criminal activities in which people are being dragged out of vehicles or being robbed and beaten.

He noted too, that a lot of what is happening "is taking an ethnic turn," where people of Indian origin are beaten.

"...that should not happen because I will defend the right of every Guyanese regardless of his ethnicity to have an equal place in this country."

"This is our country, it belongs to all of us equally and I was expecting the Opposition to condemn those actions, and I feel all decent minded people should also do that", the President said.

"People must never feel because of their ethnicity in this country that they don't belong here, and I've always championed this...from the beginning...from the time I became President, I have spoken a million times on this issue," he said.

Asked to confirm whether the private sector will be making overtures to the PNC/R in an effort to hasten the proposed talks between himself and Hoyte, President Jagdeo said private sector representatives have indicated that they may meet Mr Hoyte.

But he said he has to meet the other groups in society "to give them my position."

Mr Jagdeo yesterday met a delegation from the Private Sector Commission.

He noted, however, that so far no one can accuse the PPP/C of being unreasonable.

"We won the elections...we said we're willing to talk, before the elections and even after the elections...I wrote Mr Hoyte he has not responded, so this is it."

The President felt that what took place in the city Monday was "inevitable".

"Given what was said you can't say to a group or to a mob...`slow fire', you can't say `more fire'.

"Talk show hosts cannot say to people, `go out and burn' without this happening, because many of those people, even if you mean it in a figurative sense, they will take that literally."

The President reiterated, "it was inevitable because over the last, maybe weeks there has been this talk about slow fire, and over last weekend it again surfaced and people were saying more fire this time. You can take that literally and attack me," he added.

Referring to the proposed talks with Hoyte, the President said he didn't put any pre-conditions to the talks.

"I invited Mr Hoyte, even before the elections I signalled that would be one of my priorities if I should win the elections, sit down with the Opposition and it didn't come from a position of weakness.

"It came from an understanding of the nature of this country and that we all have to work together to build a bright future," he said.

He pointed out that while he is willing to talk, he has never put pre-conditions on the talks, "and I'm still inclined, the invitation is still open, but pressure will not work."

President Jagdeo expressed the hope that once the situation normalises, he and Hoyte can start the talks, but that there cannot be pre-conditions.

"You cannot come to the table hoping that by having people on the streets, the other side would cave in. We have to come to the table, as I said in my inauguration speech, as equals.

"I've signalled a long time ago that I wasn't speaking just about Parliament, I was speaking about other areas. I think both parties have indicated that they are not in favour of any national front (within) the Cabinet itself. But there are a whole range of other possibilities how we can work together," he explained.