“We need to put pre-1992 behind us” – PM Hinds hints at apology from PNC/R
February 18, 2015 10:55 am
By Jomo Paul
Prime Minister, Sam Hinds
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Prime Minister and Leader of the Civic Party, Samuel Hinds says it is time that Guyanese put behind them what happened during the 28 years Linden Forbes Burnham/Desmond Hoyte People’s National Congress (PNC) regime.
Hinds, who was also a former President, made it clear that for Guyana to move forward, it would need to put what happened in their period behind, noting that it is especially important at this time.
Hinds was at the time speaking on a special radio programme ‘Hard Talk’ on 90.1 FM Love FM on Tuesday, February 18. According to the Prime Minister, “we are all still constrained by what happened in 1968 to 1992 period and until we can put that period behind us we will not be in a position to be of different political persuasions but as Guyanese brothers and sisters.”
Despite this position adopted by Hinds, government officials and the People’s Progressive Party are known to regurgitate of what happened during the 28-years PNC regime as a somewhat grim reminder to Guyanese.
Hinds, who has been Guyana’s Prime Minister since the PPP/C took office in 1992, said that a possible reason it is still being “harped” on by politicians is because it has not been “cleared off the table.”
He pointed to the apartheid period in South Africa noting that persons have since been able to put that issue behind them in that country because there have been conciliation and other form of efforts to have the issues during that period dealt with.
He said that during his Presidential stint in 1997 the issue of a possible apology from the PNC was raised, but Hinds did not say whether he believed that is what is necessary to take Guyana forward.
On Monday, February 16, General Secretary of the PPP Clement Rohee said the memories of the pre -1992 era still lie fresh in the memory of Guyanese.
Rohee said “it took twenty eight years before the country saw another free and fair election but not before a once prosperous country was reduced to one of the poorest country in the western hemisphere.”