ToR being drafted for CoI into 2000-2010 killings – VP Jagdeo

Several months after the People’s Progressive Party Civil (PPP/C) had hinted at launching a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the killings that occurred during the period 2000 to 2010, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday revealed that the terms of reference in this regard are being drafted.
“The Terms of Reference (ToR) are being drafted, and soon the President will announce the CoI; so, we will get to the bottom of this,” he stated.
The Vice President was at the time responding to a statement from the Alliance For Change (AFC) in which that party indicated that Government has failed to launch a CoI into many killings which occurred in the early 2000s.
Jagdeo pointed out that although the APNU+AFC Government had launched approximately eight CoIs during its time in office, it failed to investigate “the troubled period”, though this was a promise leading up to the 2015 elections.
Former President David “Granger was notorious for launching Commissions of Inquiry. He did about eight of them, and spent nearly $500 million,” Jagdeo contended, as he questioned why the former administration did not launch a CoI into the killings.

In this regard, he is alleging that members of the opposition parties are culpable for the atrocities during that period.
“PNC and AFC supported a group of bandits who escaped the prison and wreaked havoc on ordinary citizens of this country until they were either arrested or killed by the security forces,” he said.
The Vice President noted that those political parties resort to speaking about racism when they have nothing new to address.
“Because they have nothing new, they are trying to raise back the old race thing [of] 1500 young Black men that we killed; their racist issue again to bring back the old rumours that they spread, which is being disproved over and over again, but they continue to perpetuate the lies,” Jagdeo told reporters.
Back in January, Jagdeo had stated, “The Government will be going ahead with the COI because the UN wants it; Granger wanted it, and I hope that there will be no prevarication anymore. There shall be a COI.”
In 2018, the coalition administration under former President David Granger promised that a CoI would be appointed to investigate the circumstances of the crime wave.

“Society has been scarred by violence, which left a lingering legacy of distrust with the potential of fresh disorder. Monuments at Bartica, Buxton and Eve Leary have been erected for the victims of violence during the ‘troubles’ between 2002 and 2009. We still must investigate those troubles, and ensure that the culprits are brought to justice,” he was quoted as saying, while noting that there allegedly were 1,431 murders in that period.
The former President had also said his administration would ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The 2000-2010 period saw the killing of several criminals, police officers and civilians, along with the loss of many weapons from the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force.