He yesterday also warned against some "wild" persons running amok in society who are being misled by those "who run away from this country if you have trouble but want to push us back into the sixties (1960s when there were civil disturbances)".

"I think it's some old people who can't get rid of the hatred from their hearts, who don't give a damn about the young generation and the future of this country (and) who would love to see us go back to the past when you had trouble in this country," President Jagdeo told a news conference at the Presidential Secretariat, Georgetown.

The President also lamented the fact that hundreds of innocent people, simply because they are Indo-Guyanese, were targeted because of their race.

"This is terrible, people being targetted because of race. I've always maintained that everyone has an equal place in this country and people must not feel that because of their race they will be targetted. It diminishes all of us as Guyanese," Mr. Jagdeo told reporters.

The President also noted that the now infamous July 3 incident where illegal protesters affiliated to the PNC/R (People's National Congress Reform) stormed the Office of the President and then went on to carry out acts of arson, looting and violence against innocent Guyanese, was well orchestrated.

According to him, "those who are denying it now and chastising others for saying they were involved, they were responsible for those people (the protesters)".

"And it says one thing basically - if you can behave like this in Opposition, without political power...a lot of our young people should reflect back when there was political power added to this equation and then that will give an indication of the type of arrogance and behaviour of the PNC in Government. Because if you can behave like this without political power and not being in office (what would happen if) they had State power added to that?"

The President pointed out that this scenario paints a good picture of what this country experienced for a very long time when the PNC was in Government.

"The July 3 incident was disgusting. I think it was orchestrated, and people did not show up to the venues where we had the (Caribbean Community) heads; it was all carefully planned to keep people away from that," President Jagdeo said, referring to the meeting here that week of Heads of Government of the Community.

He also said that the mobilisation efforts of the illegal protest march that day were not confined to Philip Bynoe and Mark Benschop (alleged ring leaders) but that others from the PNC/R were actively mobilising for the protest.

Asked what assurances his Government can give to the average Guyanese that incidents such as those that occurred on July 3 will not happen again, Mr. Jagdeo admitted that it was virtually impossible to give the kind of assurances that people out there are looking for.

"I can't give the kinds of assurances that...tomorrow five persons won't be mobilised or that five crazy people would not run down the street and rob people. It's almost impossible to do that but at the same time people can be much more secure if they also become security conscious and are willing to take a stance," he stated.

"I have seen many business places where there is no security whatsoever. And some people bring an old man from their village to watch their place (security guard). I don't have anything against old people but (they) fall asleep by (20:00 hrs)," he said.

"The thing is, this is orchestrated and it is orchestrated in many ways I think to stir up ethnic problems," the President asserted.

He said there are persons who would try to get their hands on political power through a variety of means. Some would support crime, some would try to create ethnic problems and these attempts are so carefully orchestrated that they could "spark" at any time, he added.

He said the Government was continuing to govern in the face of the instability and tensions.

"Every single day we have to find money to pay public servants, we have to keep the Police functioning, the Cabinet business goes along...we have to continue with our international business because I think a lot of this instability is orchestrated to hit us where it hurts too - that is the economy," the Guyanese Head of State said.

"So if you have street protests, you can't attract investments; it destroys the economy...people get disillusioned with you and it enhances their electoral prospects," he said.

"I think they (the PNC/R) have a `scorched earth' policy so that people get fed up (whereby) they either leave the country or maybe not vote at the next elections. And I think it's a political strategy but I can only continue to do the work that I am doing (which is) spending a lot of my time in trying to keep the economy going," the President assured.

"Like I said before, I am the President for all the people of this country and I have to maintain that position and I will maintain it."

He, however, said he has to guard against "the wild ones" who are bent on stirring trouble.

According to him, these people "don't live with the times" but live in a "time warp" and they don't care because many of them are already past their prime.

He noted that a lot of the young on the streets are being misled by the political leaders.

"...some are being misled but some are pure criminals and those have past maybe redemption; but some of the young ones that they are misleading, they are destroying their lives and they compete with the churches now for those people."

President Jagdeo noted that some of the young people in Buxton, East Coast Demerara, do not attend church any more but rather hang around criminals, a move that their community is upset about.

"Their community is upset about it because in spite of what people say, 98 per cent of Buxton, I know, doesn't want to see that happen. That's a proud village," he declared.

The President said that maybe he is what he is today because of one of his former teachers who hails from Buxton, the centre of recent violent incidents.

He also expressed concerns about what is being instilled in young Afro-Guyanese men who are allowing their future to be destroyed from now.