WPA says Pres. Ali’s attempt to characterise one community as victims and other as aggressors very dangerous ploy to inflame a tenuous situation.

In joining with others calling for charges to be instituted against the alleged shooter, the party stated that suggestion from sections in society “that a press report that the alleged shooter was set free was the cause of the march is a simplistic and convenient explanation that insults the intelligence of the residents of Golden Grove and the country at large.”

Government announced on Sunday the Police Complaints Authority has completed its report into the investigation of Bacchus’ killing and charges are recommended for three policemen. This, however, will be determined by the Police and Director of Public Prosecutions.

Outrage has been expressed, by the WPA, at attempts by the government to turn the entire issue into a racial confrontation between African and Indian communities and stated what occurred at Mon Repos was clearly the act of thugs with an agenda that is not consistent with the actions of the grieving residents of Golden Grove before and after that incident. “The march passed several Indian Guyanese communities without any hint of attacks on persons or property.”

The WPA condemned the utterances and posture of President Irfaan Ali, in what is described as a hasty visit to Mon Repos, which would only send an ominous signal to the country. The party feels the president clearly attempted to characterise one community as victims and the other as aggressors, which they charged is a very dangerous ploy that is sure to inflame an already tenuous situation. “That should never be the stance of any government in a democratic society, particularly one that is has historically divided as Guyana”

President Ali’s visit to one community to console and reassure its residents of government’s support while refusing to visit the community that lost a son to extrajudicial is unbecoming of the Head of State and makes a mockery of his One Guyana refrain, said the party.

The Party also condemned the president’s decision to hurriedly compensate vendors in Mon Repos without any due diligence, stating it is another example of bad governance by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). It chided that the government’s “tendency to throw money around like Santa Claus without investigation and proper facilitation by the legitimate agencies amounts to illegality. The Treasury is not the personal bank account of the president.”

Making known there is no objection to compensating citizens for losses incurred, the party insists that such action must follow the law and not be used as a political weapon. Attention was also drawn to the case of vendors and other citizens at Golden Grove whose properties were damaged or destroyed by the police later the same day, but no compensation granted to them as was done in Mon Repos.

The bodily injuries and destruction of properties, resulting from police reprehensible actions in Golden Grove, the party said, have been met with silence from the police, president and officials of the government. “Equality before the law is a central tenet of any truly democratic society,” the WPA noted.

The party reminds the country that the issue at hand is the murder of Quindon Bacchus by a member [ or members] of the police force and Bacchus’ murder is not an isolated event—it is the latest in a long string of similar murders of mainly African Guyanese males under recent PPP government.