As protest action intensified in Linden today, demonstrators, including members of all of the opposition parties, breached police barricades outside Watooka House and surged into the compound, reaching the stairs leading to the upper flat of the building.
Senior police officers were at one point seen remonstrating with Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who insisted that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo should come out and address residents over the prolonged absence of a chairman and vice chairman for Region Ten.
Mohamed said the positions have remained vacant because the Regional Executive Officer has refused to convene the meeting at which the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) candidate would have be sworn in based on support from another party. WIN won the region at the last elections.
At one point, Mohamed told the protesters that he had been informed that Jagdeo would meet them at the barricade and urged the crowd to allow some time for this to happen.
Meanwhile, APNU parliamentarians Sharma Solomon and Saiku Andrews, along with other protesters, chanted and called for the resignations of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar.
Shortly after Mohamed informed the crowd that Jagdeo would address them, the barricade was breached and scores of protesters, including opposition members, rushed into the compound. They made their way to the stairs, where a group of persons wearing PPP/C jerseys stood guard.
Some protesters demanded that Jagdeo address the impasse over the chairmanship of the region, while others continued their calls for Edghill and Indar to resign. Mohamed’s sister, Hana Mohamed, also took the loud hailer at various points calling for Jagdeo to come out and address the crowd and for the two ministers to resign.
Police officers attempted to engage several opposition figures, including Mohamed, Odessa Primus and Solomon, but the protest continued.
At approximately 1 pm, a truckload of Guyana Defence Force ranks arrived at the location as the police appeared to be overwhelmed by the size of the crowd. However, the truck remains parked and the soldiers have not disembarked and the crowd remains in the compound of the guest house.
We Invest in Nationhood this morning began a protest outside of Watooka House Linden for the long-delayed election of a Chair and Vice Chair for Region 10 and the removal of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar in the aftermath of the MV Barima tragedy.
Vice President Jagdeo and Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh are also in the region on government business.
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