Granger “available all of a sudden”, but was absent during recount process – Shuman

Berbice unrest

Deputy House Speaker and Member of Parliament Lenox Shuman on Thursday asserted that there are political forces who are desperately trying to capitalise on the recent brutal murders of the two Berbice teens, and this, he said, could result in severe damage to the nation.

In a video posted on his social media page, Shuman specifically called out Leader of the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), David Granger, for his role in seeking to politicise the tragedy.
He recalled that Granger was unavailable during the entire National Recount process to meet with supporters, members of the media, and many other stakeholders, yet found the time “all of a sudden” to be so intimately involved in the current crisis.
“He is (now) showing himself out in public while he was afraid of COVID-19 during the recount process. All of a sudden it becomes a non-issue for him,” the Deputy Speaker expressed.
Shuman, who is also the Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), referred to the absence of the APNU/AFC Parliamentarians during Tuesday’s sitting of the National Assembly, which saw the presentation of Budget 2020.
He noted that he was the only Opposition Member of Parliament in the Chambers for the sitting, and he said that the APNU/AFC Parliamentarians, by not being there, are not serving the interest of citizens.

“What I saw was them in Berbice, pretty much going through a campaign-style engagement, whether they are egging people on to protest or whatever it was they were doing, they were definitely not acting responsibly towards you, the tax payers,” Shuman contended.
On Monday, Granger and Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon visited the families of the two teenagers who were killed. However, during their visit, they used the opportunity to cast blame on the PPP/C Government for the tragedy, and have since been involved in pushing a narrative that the incident was politically motivated.
They also referred to the PPP as a fraudulent Government, and called for residents to reject them if they ventured into their communities to offer support.
However, various commentators have since expressed the view that this was a move by the Coalition Leaders to sidetrack the nation from the investigations currently ongoing into attempts by certain persons to alter the results of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.
Shuman called on all citizens to conduct themselves in a lawful manner, and continue to live in peace and harmony with their neighbours and friends.
He urged citizens not to allow themselves to be enraged by any politician, neighbour, or any other person.
The badly-mutilated bodies of 16-year-old Isaiah Henry and 19-year-old Joel Henry of West Coast Berbice (WCB) were discovered almost one day after they had gone missing. The boys had reportedly left last Friday to pick coconuts in the backdam.
After hours of searching, the badly-chopped bodies were discovered among the bushes and were partially covered in mud. The murders have sparked outrage in the communities along the West Berbice corridor, resulting in violent protests. Two persons have since been killed in retaliation by the protestors.
Additionally, some passersby have been robbed and beaten, and buildings and vehicles have been set on fire. Several roads have also been blocked over the past three days, preventing commuters from getting to their destinations freely.
Several stakeholders have since appealed to the residents to express their emotions in a manner that is lawful and respectful, and allow the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to carry out its duties uninterrupted.
The Joint Services have been deployed to the affected communities, and there has been a return to some level of normalcy.