Stabroek News
April 30, 2001

Robert Persaud, information liaison to President Bharrat Jagdeo, has stated that it was not the first time the president was announcing compensation for victims of the post-election violence when he met Guyanese living in Toronto last Sunday.

Persaud, refuting a claim made in a ROAR release, affirmed "that was not the first time the president offered assistance and relief to the victims."

Since April 11, while the president was on a tour of fire ravaged business and office sites on Regent and Robb streets, he announced that victims of the disaster would be helped and that was widely reported in the media, Persaud said in a statement.

Then on April 14, 15, 16 and 17, president Jagdeo visited communities along the East Coast of Demerara, West Demerara and in Linden that were affected by the unrest, Persaud said.

And in meeting with residents of these areas, Jagdeo reaffirmed "his government's commitment to help those who had suffered as a result of the organised unrest and violence."

"To infer that the President only offered his administration's assistance to victims on April 22nd during a meeting with Canadian-based Guyanese is a complete misrepresentation," Persaud declared.