‘What next?’ – Dr. Luncheon asks
RESPONDING to questions by the media yesterday about the Opposition parties staging a protest during the launch of CARIFESTA X Wednesday evening and main Opposition Leader Robert Corbin’s vow to make the occasion ‘unmanageable’, Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon described the move as ‘very unusual’.

During the launching ceremony for the major event and in the presence of representatives and delegates from participating countries, a group of women representatives from the Opposition political parties started chanting “No Carifesta” at the beginning of the ceremony.

“This is one of the most unusual developments by the Opposition political parties who seemingly have decided to raise the political ante by moving into actions including protests, which are perfectly legitimate, but to go to the extreme to what Cabinet has described as profoundly unpatriotic activities,” the HPS asserted.

The Cabinet Secretary added however, that the long and short of the matter is that though Carifesta was undertaken by the Government of Guyana, it is fundamentally being put on by Guyanese.

“The unpatriotic nature of course is reflected not only in the level of support that has already been achieved but the increasing commitment of Guyanese both internally and externally to the successful hosting of Carifesta after so many years, after so many decades…,” Luncheon posited.

He said the allegation of freedom of the press being infringed by the suspension of the licence to broadcast by Channel 6 has been held out as the reason for the Opposition ‘ratcheting up’ the tensions in the communities and the challenge to the hosting of Carifesta.

“It begs the question, even if the allegation were to be established, which I think is not possible, even if it were to be established, are we now dealing with as par for the course, situations where that type of response would be deemed appropriate?” the HPS further queried.

He added, “We are looking to see who would come out and with the same fervour which they complain and advocate for those whose freedoms have allegedly been infringed, what length, what decree of advocacy would come out in responding to this clear challenge to this nation, not to the Administration, but to this nation, all those who would benefit, financially or otherwise, in participating in a successful hosting of Carifesta, and we keep asking ourselves what next?”

He concluded that the proclivity with which allegations of freedom of the press are bandied around ‘like rice and salt in the pot’ and the linkage now with attacks and unpatriotic behaviour begs the question, when will it end?