Dr Luncheon ‘stoned’ during PPP meeting in East Ruimveldt
By Fareeza Haniff
Some of the persons who disrupted the meeting.
A meeting in Warlock, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) had to be cancelled on Wednesday evening (April 29) after a crowd of supporters of the APNU+AFC coalition threw rocks and bottles at the speakers, including Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon.
A video of the incident was presented by the ruling Party, showing supporters squaring off with police officers and burning PPP flags at the meeting. Also observed in the video were a number of minors who participated in disrupting the meeting.
Condemning the act is former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who told a news conference on Thursday, April 30 that this behaviour occurred mere hours after all political Parties would have signed a Code of Conduct by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
“Just last night, hours after the Code of Conduct was signed by all of the Parties condemning violence, committing themselves not to use violence, they had a bunch of thugs stoning our meeting in Warlock
where Dr Luncheon was speaking.
“This is hours after the singing of the Code of Conduct and you had senior members of the APNU coalition there,” Jagdeo said.
When asked, he pointed out Aubrey Norton as one of those APNU members.
“I would like the country to see how organized the thuggery is. Why do you have to come to our meetings and stone people who speak at our meetings? It’s only an act of desperation that would cause you to do this,” the former President said.
He urged GECOM and the international observers to take note of the incident.
“We have to condemn this in the strongest term and we hope that GECOM is paying attention it and the international observers are too.”
Meanwhile, Jagdeo also rejected reports that “thousands of Venezuelans”, Brazilians and Chinese are registered to vote for the PPP.
This was unacceptable. NO STONING. Only Bgurding for Kwame.