PNCR kicked out of Lethem building again but govt told to “back off”

Last Updated on Thursday, 18 May 2023, 13:36 by Denis Chabrol

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has been evicted once again from the building in Lethem, Rupununi that had housed its office for 43 years but party leader said action would be taken against government for trespassing.

“The government has been using f0rce. I think they went into the building while people weren’t there and they have occupied it. We are taking a number of actions against them,” PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton said on Thursday.

That party, which has not provided any specific basis for claiming ownership of the building, was first removed from the building during the pre-dawn hours of March 2, 2023 after government had written several letters to the party requesting that it vacate that premises.

Government had said that based on its inventory the building is owned by the government and was now needed to construct a health facility.

Hours after the roof and windows had been removed by government-hired workers, the PNCR’s General Secretary Dawn Hastings-Williams and party member Attorney-at-Law Darren Wade had flown into Lethem and spearheaded the reoccupation of their party’s Lethem office.

But the PNCR Leader said “agents of the government” and the contractor has been instructed to redo the building.

Police reports have been filed, but he hinted that other “action” would be taken, even referring to a conversation with an unnamed government official that the matter could turn for the worse. “I told him that the government seems to be pushing for a physical confrontation; to let him known that we are not short on people that could deal with them in a physical confrontation but we don’t believe it is in the best interest of people at this time and, therefore, we have said to them they need to back off,” he said.

Two senior PNCR members- Carl Parker, 59, a former Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo), and and 55-year old Godfrey ‘Cut Mouth’ Williams of Tabatinga Village, Lethem  have since been charged. Mr Parker is accused of  threatening behaviour against 51-year old Dale Kennedy who is a contractor and resides at Lethem. He and Mr Williams  were also charged with malicious damage to property , committed on the Government of Guyana March 4, 2023 at Lethem Central Rupununi.