PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposition Leader, Mr Desmond Hoyte yesterday urged Guyanese to remain calm and to cooperate with the authorities.

"We urge all Guyanese to remain calm and co-operate with the authorities.

"This will facilitate a return to normalcy which is necessary for developmental works to proceed.

"It will also reduce tensions and allow all Guyanese to continue to live in harmony", they said in a joint statement after their fourth meeting in three weeks.

Police reported no major incidents on the East Coast Demerara yesterday following violence which erupted again Monday when two vehicles were hijacked and burnt and several persons beaten and robbed at Buxton.

Schools were also disrupted Monday because of rumours of violence and attacks on at least one school by a gang of boys armed with cutlasses, Police said.

At a news conference Monday afternoon, President Jagdeo said Guyana faced a "grave situation" from the acts of a few people and announced a series of measures aimed at dealing with heightened tensions and acts of disruptions in parts of the East Coast.

The country could be put at risk and there was "a severe threat to our democracy and our way of life as Guyanese", he said.

The President said the law enforcement agencies had been responding to the breakdown in law and order in the various communities.

"However, the situation over the past 48 hours demands an intensification of the various security arrangements", he said.

The Police and Army maintained patrols and heightened presence on the East Coast yesterday but attendance at several schools was poor.

"The situation will be under continuous review so as to inform necessary additional responses", the President said Monday.

With Mr Jagdeo at the news conference at the Office of the President were acting Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Colonel Edward Collins; Commissioner of Police, Laurie Lewis, Secretary to the Defence Board, Dr Roger Luncheon and Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj.

The President declared that the "impact of the illegal, unlawful, and murderous actions of bandits and/or killers in the East Coast of Demerara is reverberating in our entire society."

He said the security measures implemented were not a declaration of a state of emergency and added that a curfew was "a possibility".

Unrest has flared in several East Coast villages since supporters of the main Opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R) began street protests after the March 19 elections which the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won.

Gangs last week blocked the main road at Buxton and attacked mini-buses and other vehicles, beating and robbing passengers and others.

At least two persons were badly burnt last week when a `channa' (bottle) bomb was thrown into a mini-bus and exploded.

Tensions rose in other villages Monday following the shooting death Sunday in the East Coast backdam (backland) of a fisherman, his eight-year-old son and a farmer.

The President said the "limited disruptions" on the East Coast would be dealt with so that there could be a return to normalcy and that the dialogue process started could continue.

Mr Jagdeo Monday said he would have discussed the situation yesterday with Mr Hoyte, also PNC/R leader.

The two met for about 90 minutes at the Office of the President yesterday and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Reepu Daman Persaud and PNC/R Chairman, Mr Robert Corbin joined them, a source said last night.

Persaud and Corbin were last week mandated to meet to name the members for the committees and joint task force the President and Hoyte agreed on at their second meeting last month.

The President and the Opposition Leader are to meet again on Friday.

The joint statement issued after yesterday's meeting also said:

1. We agreed on the composition of the various committees and the time frame for the completion of their work. The composition of these committees will be released shortly. The logistics and other support for the various committees will be provided by the relevant ministries.

2. With respect to the depressed areas, we had agreed at our second meeting to identify some areas where rehabilitation work will begin at an early date.

In this regard, the committee will be asked to immediately identify some communities for the commencement of this work.

3. Messrs Corbin and Persaud were requested to finalise the Terms of Reference of the various committees for our approval at our next meeting.

The committees are to look at a range of issues including distribution of house lots, national security and resuscitation of the bauxite industry.