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PNC/R threatens to boycott Rodney COI
The People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) has announced that it will not be taking part in the Dr. Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (COI). PNCR Leader and head of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), David Granger, in an interview with this publication highlighted that the PNC/R which is a part of APNU made the decision not to participate because of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for Rodney’s COI.
Leader of APNU
David Granger
He said that the party does not feel comfortable with some of the terms of reference.
Speaking to the fourth clause of the TOR, Granger said that it directed the “commission’s attention to the persons in command of the defence and security forces at the time; we felt it was prejudicial to the outcome of the COI and we said we will not support it.”
He said that he wrote President Donald Ramotar concerning the said section of the TOR but to date he has not received a response.
Granger also said that he asked the President to amend that TOR which he (Granger) cited as offensive. He said that if that part isn’t amended the party would not be participating.
Granger did say that this is strictly from the PNC/R side. APNU has not taken a decision but each party comprising the partnership could decide what it wants to do individually as did the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) which is part of APNU and of which Walter Rodney was the co-founder.
That party had reluctantly acquiesced to taking part in the COI since it said that it had not been formally contacted or consulted on the creation of the COI even though it was that party and the PNC that had been calling for a COI into Rodney’s death but in the end it decided to allow its members to take part if they so desired.
The Opposition Leader said that he met the commissioners themselves but didn’t indicate whether he would participate in the inquiry.
APNU had previously expressed reservations with the TOR and with one of the persons on the Commission Guyana-born, Trinidad-based Senior Counsel, Seenauth Jairam who they felt would be biased in his approach since he worked previously with the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
Dr. Rodney was killed when a bomb exploded in a car in which he was an occupant. He was 38 years old at the time.
The government has said that it was Rodney’s family that have been calling for closure on how he died and that fueled their (government) impetus to establish a COI into his death. The government in justifying why it did not incorporate the WPA or other political parties said it was because the family only wanted to deal with them (government).
The period for submissions of evidence to the COI was closed since March and according to the Chairman of the Commission Sir Richard Cheltenham (QC) the inquiry is likely to start after the Easter Holiday weekend.
The Chairman explained that the Commission is expected to go as far back to 1978 to 1980. Cheltenham made it clear that in relation to concerns regarding the Terms of Reference (TOR), those should be addressed with the relevant authorities. He said that anyone with a problem should put their concerns with the sponsoring authority, which is the Government. Both the Army and Police have also signaled their intention to be a part of the Commission. Both entities have archives on the incident and they have said that they would make them available.
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