Lindeners shut down traffic between city, hinterland

Jun 20, 2008 News

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Hundreds of angry Lindeners protesting the impending electricity hike to the mining town of Linden, yesterday blocked the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge to demonstrate in the strongest possible manner their feelings against what they say is a deliberate attempt by Government to impose new and unconscionable hardships on a community that is already economically depressed.

Only people on foot and pedal cyclists and a few motorcyclists were allowed to cross the bridge.
Vehicular traffic was taboo, however, as the main thoroughfare was effectively blocked with several huge pieces of scrap iron.
A few travelling to and from Mahdia were forced to camp on either sides of the river, resulting in passengers for Georgetown having to disembark and cross the bridge to access transportation on the other shore. This situation effectively created a shuttle situation between the city and the hinterland community.
Residents from every ward in Linden chanted their way down the streets, volubly condemning the impending electricity hike slated for implementation come July 1. Placards bearing slogans like “Bill plus VAT equals death” and” Kill the bill”, were prominently displayed. There were also chants of “Killer Bill”.
Consumers from Wismar, Christianburg and other areas on the west bank of the town were joined by their counterparts from Amelia’s Ward and other communities on the Mackenzie shore, who crossed the Mackenzie/ Wismar bridge to congregate on the opposite side for a meeting involving major stakeholders within the community.
The present electricity rates in Linden stand at $5 per kilowatt hour for residential areas. The proposed increase will provide residential areas with 100 kilowatt hours of electricity at $5 per kilowatt hour, and after these 100 kilowatt hours have been used residents will pay standard Guyana Power and Light (GPL) rates.
Of all of GPL’s customers, says a source within GPL, thousands of them manage on less than 100 kilowatt hours of electricity every month. With this in mind, the source termed the increase ‘moderate’ for the 8000 customers in the Linden area.
Determined to stand their ground for what they deemed an injustice against them, many of the residents of the mining town expressed their plans to stay put on the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge in Linden for “as long as it tek fuh we fuh get justice.” Another protester noted, “If I can’t get justice, then it (the protest) can’t done.”
While the members of the Guyana Police Force were present on the Wismar/Mackenzie bridge, there was little they could do when confronted with the hundreds of protesters. One of the officers walked through the crowd of protesters but was only met with the shouting and chanting of the crowd.
Later, four police officers were seen standing on the far side of the bridge on the Mackenzie side of the river observing the protesters.
Leader of the parliamentary opposition, Robert Corbin, traveled to Linden to meet with the residents and listen to their concerns.
Corbin told the peeved residents that at a meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo, the President told him that electricity rates would not be hiked on July 1, as had been indicated by Prime Minister Samuel hinds.
Corbin said that the new implementation date would be October. However, the October bill would be back dated to July, Corbin said.
Corbin said that such a decision was an insult to his intelligence, and to the intelligence of the people.
He said that he advised the President that the $500 million to be spent for Carifesta should instead go towards subsidizing electricity to Lindeners in December.
Corbin posited that unless the price of electricity is favourably settled, nothing else will happen.
He said that the impending rates should be suspended until further consultations.
There was the suggestion that Bosai should also cushion some of the cost of electricity in the mining community.
In reflecting on the impending escalating rate of electricity, Corbin opined that if that basic utility is hiked by 53 per cent, there is the likelihood that a lot of children in the community will starve.
He noted, “The President cannot claim not to know of the predicament facing this community.”
Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo said that it was important for Lindeners to ensure that the people of Linden do not pay a cent more and he recalled a recent meeting with the Prime Minister where it was decided that more consultations would have to be engaged in before any pronouncements on increases could be made.
A subsequent meeting which was planned for further consultations between the Prime Minister and residents was however abruptly halted after the latter failed to turn up.
Mingo noted that the Prime Minister then came into the community and held a live call in programme, but said that persons were not interested in that. They wanted hands on consultation with the Prime Minister.
Secretary of LUSCSL, Charles Sampson, stated, “Seventy percent of us not working. Where we gon get the money from?”
The protesters vowed not to pay a cent more and promised not to withdraw “this thing (blocked bridge)”.
Some persons contended that cheap electricity has been earned by this community which on a daily basis is enveloped in dust.
“This community subsidized many other sectors of the economy in the days when bauxite was ‘king’,” they added.

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