Capitol News has been very objective and fair in its coverage of the Linden situation

Aug 22, 2012 Letters

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Dear Editor,
In response to a letter written by one Dean Williams claiming that Capitol News was not fair in its coverage of the President’s visit to Linden, let me point out that such a claim could not be farther from the truth and I hereby provide the transcript of my story on that visit which shows that all sides were covered and the story explained. Capitol News has been very objective and fair in its coverage of the Linden situation and has provided the most comprehensive television coverage of the issue from the first day. Clearly that fact appears to be irking some who are against press freedom and now even the unknown in their house.
The letter writer must have been looking at some other newscast, but I would encourage him and other viewers to visit our website to catch up on all the day’s top stories. Please see verbatim transcript below.
President visits Linden, Capitol News transcript. Gordon Moseley Reporting.
(GM) With most of the roads cleared, President Donald Ramotar made his final push into the mining town of Linden under heavy security.
The visit came just two days before the one month anniversary of the start of the Linden protests and the shooting death of 3 of the Linden protestors. The President had always said he would only visit the protesting community when the roads were cleared. But from all appearances Lindeners protested the President’s visit by staying in their homes and away from the meeting at the Watooka Guest House.
Fewer than 50 persons attended that first meeting and the President told those gathered that he had always wanted to visit the community. He spoke about the discussions with region 10 officials saying that some agreements had already been reached.
President Ramotar: “I immediately after that happened on July 18, we decided to set up a Commission of Inquiry. That Commission of Inquiry, we have gone a far way. Working with the other two political parties, we have agreed; almost agreed. We have agreed more or less with APNU, trying to finalize agreement with AFC on the Terms of Reference of that Commission and we will start that investigation as early as possible and even to include some people coming from overseas”
(GM) Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira who formed part of the President’s delegation announced that the Government and the Region 10 officials had reached an agreement on members of the Technical Team tasked with reviewing the Government’s plan to increase the cost for electricity in the town.
Gail Teixeira:  “The seven man team has now been agreed to. What will commence now is setting up the team, when it will work, how it will work, the access to resources, so once that team is put in order now that we have the names as of yesterday, that they have sixty days to report and will report back fortnightly to the two sides. And I believe that is a critical component as far as we understand of what the Linden community wanted.”
(GM) One Linden resident at the meeting told the President that he could have avoided all that happened in the town over the past weeks had he visited much earlier.
Linden Resident: “Good Morning. Thank you for coming. But I am still saying you came like a thief in the night like what happened during the town day when you came to open that exhibition. And I am saying that You Comrade President is the President for Guyana, but it look as if we the people of Linden are step children for Guyana”
(GM) There were also concerns raised about the lack of consultation before government’s decision to impose the new tariffs.
Linden Resident: “Why was there no consultation before this new tariff was implemented?”
(GM) Businessman and former Linden Mayor Stan Smith who is a member of the chamber of commerce in the town spoke about their efforts to bring the situation to an end saying there must always be dialogue.
Stan Smith: “Why is it that businessmen or members of the business community did not go with the Chairman to the meetings with the President? That question has not been answered. I am saying that the time has come for this thing to come to an end and the time has come for the business community to play its role in the development of this town.”
President Ramotar: “When the group met with us, we had to meet them because Mr. Solomon and Miss Kissoon didn’t turn up. And time was a factor and we were meeting and talking. They came late in the afternoon and we met them still. And at every meeting we have been asking for stakeholders to be there.
Minister Benn: “We are at the peak, at the crust of a great take off and it is being destroyed by certain extremists’ actions on the ground and that is what we have to pay attention to”.
(GM) President Ramotar and his team following the Watooka House meeting travelled to some of the areas where the protests took place. His first stop was the Mackenzie Wismar Bridge. He viewed the ashes of the buildings that were gutted by fire just nearby.
Some residents who had gathered closely wasted no time to let their voices be heard even as the Presidential entourage pulled off.
Linden Resident 1: “the bills, the bills, the bills, Gordon Moseley bills, we cannot pay those bills. And Mr. Ramotar come and Mr Ramotar did not say anything to us. We are all human beings and what is Linden going to turn to. Mr Ramotar come and Mr Ramotar is suppose to speak to us, he is suppose to call the whole nation out. Why till now he hasn’t come to us and tell us nothing”
Linden Resident 2: “I was shot right here on this road. This is the road at the age of 61 I was shot. Right here when my fellow brothers died right here. So let Mr. Ramotar go with his fellow officers. Please go, please let them go. There is so many blood. So many tears are falling”
(GM) At Wismar the President reached as far as the half mile area where he went across to meet with a few persons who had gathered to protest. They expressed their views openly.
President Ramotar: “We have a committee now and they will start to work. We have two months to investigate all the issues. And then to make recommendations to the Government”
Woman with placard: “we want suspension to be replaced by remove. We don’t want to hear suspend”
President Ramotar “You can’t want it in cake and want it in bake”
Woman with placard: “Until that investigation is complete that is what we want”
Minister Benn: “that is what the technical committee is doing”.
(GM) Some persons gathered along the roadside and from their colorful language expressed their displeasure at the late visit by the President.
At Mackenzie the President stopped to meet with some other persons who had gathered even as a music system blasted songs of resistance.
Clip: President walks around shaking hands while sound system plays reggae song “No guns in my town”.
Man calls out to President: “Mr. President, nobody aint want eat you right. All we wanted was to see you”
President shakes man’s hands: “I didn’t want come when they block the road, because they might start using that, and bun up the road and mek noise, I didn’t want to get anybody hurt with coming in here”
(GM) From there and under even more security presence the team visited the Bosai Bauxite Company where officials spoke to them about the impact of the protest action on the company over the past few weeks.
Bosai Worker: “you gotta go on the road, go on the road, don’t come here, go at the bridge, go on the road. You got to go on the road”
President: “I just been there”
(GM) Bosai has been pleading with some of its workers to return to the job as the company could lose customers. (story ends)

Gordon Moseley
News Editor/Anchor
Capitol News

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