Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
April 27, 2001

YES, there have been photos before of bitter rivals smiling warmly after emerging from meetings aimed at settling differences.

The world has seen many of these, even in areas of bitter conflicts, only to see the troubles continue after the talks.

Critics and the skeptics will point to breaches of previous `peace' agreements by the main Opposition People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) after post-elections disturbances from December 1997 and ask `So what's new?'

No one wants to live under the tensions, threats and violence that have been stirred in Georgetown and in parts of the East Coast Demerara since the March 19 elections returned the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to power, and everyone should be looking forward to a return to normalcy in the society.

It is obvious that there are forces that do not favour moves towards restoring peace and calm but the majority of people in this country just want to see an end to the unrest and firm steps put in place to ensure they would not have to go through this again.

If peace cannot be guaranteed, more and more people would simply pack up and leave to join the vast numbers of others who have done so because of fears of insecurity in the past.

There is merit in suggestions for an inquiry into what led to the massive fire in Georgetown on April 9 and related events and there have been calls for such a probe to be widened to cover the disturbances in Georgetown of January 1998.

People are looking for assurances and guarantees against violence and tensions in the society and the important thing is that bitter exchanges have been replaced by talks between President Bharrat Jagdeo and PNC/R leader, Mr Desmond Hoyte.

The police reported at least one incident of violence from `protesters' in a part of Georgetown yesterday, a sign that trouble could still be stirred.

The law enforcement agencies would have to be firm in dealing with those who openly attack peaceful citizens who should be free to travel wherever they please in this country.

There must be a return to normalcy and as long as the President and Mr Hoyte continue working on the issues before them, the greater are the chances of arriving at conditions that could avert the trauma Guyanese have been forced to undergo for too long.

Important steps forward have been made in these talks and there have been statements of encouragement from groups.

More such groups should come out in support of the talks to help the obvious progress that has been achieved.

The smiling faces of the two leaders in press photos yesterday have lifted the spirits of a lot of people and that's what's new in the situation.

Asked yesterday to explain the congeniality and what transpired between them that led to a drastic change of a previously glum mood at the Tuesday meeting, President Jagdeo responded with a boyish grin and to the amusement of the press corps, stated, "Well, we talked, we talked, we talked..."

That's the important thing in all this - as long as they are talking, hopes rise for forward movement.