Breaking: PNCR condemns arrest and charging of Party officials in Lethem

The People’s National Congress (PNCR), in a statement today said, the party strongly condemns the arrest and the charging by the Lethem Police this morning of Mr. Carl Parker and other of its regional Party officials.

“The arrests and fictitious charges are in connection with the criminal destruction of the PNCR Lethem Office by the PPP REO and the efforts by Mr. Parker and others to legitimately defend the property rights of the Party.”

The Party said it “will oppose these latest PPP maneuvers legally and politically. Neither the PNCR Party nor its regional activists will be intimidated by PPP bullyism and malice.”

We remain steadfast and confident that the law, justice, and the support of fair-minded people of Lethem and Guyana will prevail on our side in this entire matter, the party said.

Last Thursday around 1:00 a.m. under the watchful eyes of officials from the Region Nine Regional Democratic Council and members of the Guyana Police, the PNCR’s Lethem Office was demolished. Party members said documents, including that belonging to the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM), were carted away. The party, at a press conference the said day, condemned the action.

Over the weekend party officials replaced the roof and other parts of the building.

Shadow Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Roysdale Forde  S.C in a statement last Thursday said “the demolition of party’s office is a declaration of war by the PPP Government on the members and supporters of the PNCR.”

Forde had pointed out that “there are some established universal unwritten rules in politics guiding behaviours of political rivals. These rules are sacrosanct. Government and political parties do not attack the buildings of their rivals.”

According to the Member of Parliament (MP) “it matters not whether the land on which the building was situated is owned by the state or the party. What matters in this instance, as in every instance of governance, is how those entrusted the power of the people to govern in the interest of the people, consistent with established laws, protocols and principles, are disrespectful of the people and the laws governing the people’s welfare.”

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference last Friday denied the government’s involvement.  “There was no direction on the part of the People’s Progressive Party to have APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] evicted from the building that they were illegally occupying. There was no direction from the Central Government to have this done.”

But Forde countered, saying the VP’s words sound “like a poor excuse to divert attention from their attack, their declaration of war on the PNCR.”

According to the MP, “The destruction of the PNCR’s building had to have the approval of high officials in the central government. However, if Mr. Jagdeo wants Guyanese to believe otherwise, let the government carry out an investigation and discipline those behind the lawless act, including the REO.”

Party Leader and Leader of the Opposition Mr. Aubrey Norton, who was out of the country at the time of the incident, condemned the action, stating that it was malicious, immoral and barefaced.

The party also lodged a complaint with the Diplomatic Community.

The party promised more on the situation at the Leader of the Opposition’s press conference tomorrow.