Guyana’s combined opposition on Monday welcomed the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) nominees for Guyana’s planned Commission of Inquiry into the July 18 disturbance that left three dead. 

The Guyana government said the probe could begin at the end of August and last about eight weeks.

It was not immediately clear whether government has also agreed to the three jurists:-- Former National Security Minister, Senior Counsel K.D. Knights; former Chief Justice of Jamaica, Lensley Wolfe and former independent senator in Trinidad and Tobago, Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal.  

“At the request of the Government of Guyana, the Community has recommended three distinguished CARICOM Nationals to serve on a Commission of Inquiry which is expected to enquire into and report on matters related to the events of that day,” Caricom said in a statement. The unrest had stemmed from Lindeners opposition to a steep hike in electricity rates due to a slash in government’s subsidy by GUY$ 1 billion this year. 

The Guyana government has recommended Guyanese Justices Claudette Singh and Cecil Kennard. He is also Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority. 

Vice Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that “we have seen the names and we have agreed to them.” 

AFC leader, Khemraj Ramjattan described “as just wonderful” the Caricom nominees. “We are in full support of those three from overseas.” “We are glad that at least the majority of the five-member team are of an international component because we had made a demand which we felt would not have been fulfilled in every respect,” he said. 

Ramjattan said it would be now up to the Commissioners to request experts in forensics and pathology to assist them in their probe, findings and recommendations.

Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset were killed during clashes between police and protesters on July 18. A number of government buildings was burnt during the unrest that day. 

Police Commissioner, Leroy Brummel, appealing for witnesses to come forward and give police investigators statements, believed that their reluctance to do so might be due to the likelihood that they would prefer to do so to the inquiry instead.
 

Differences over Terms of Reference 

At the centre of the disagreement is whether the commission should be asked to investigate organising and promoting of the protest. 

Roopnaraine said government and the opposition were moving towards resolving objections to the terms of reference. DemWaves understands that APNU and AFC do not want references to promoting a protest included in the terms of reference. 

For his part, Ramjattan said the terms of reference already speak to the circumstances leading up to the shooting and so there is no need to include organising and promoting the protest. He emphasised that there is nothing necessarily unlawful about doing so. 

The AFC leader, however, said his party would go ahead with the terms of reference if the government insists on including the contentious one. “We are saying that that should be deleted but if the government and APNU or the government would like to see it, we would like that not to be some hurdle that is going to prevent the commission of inquiry from being established, let it proceed,” he said. 

Government and the Region 10 Council were Monday due to sign an agreement in which the Donald Ramotar administration would address several concerns. 

However, signing of the accord was aborted after the Regional negotiators tied the accord to an acceptable terms of reference for the Commission of Inquiry into the July 18 disturbances.