Opposition elements blamed for premature end to Buxton farmers’ meeting
Georgetown, GINA, February 8, 2008
The meeting organised yesterday by the Ministry of Agriculture at the Buxton Community High School to address concerns pertaining to the issues affecting farmers in the Buxton/ Friendship area ended prematurely just after over one hour, disrupted by known opposition elements.
During the meeting attended by several People’s National Congress Reform activists including a Member of Parliament, Region Four Chairman, Clement Corlette and former treason accused Mark Benschop, it was noticed that they were actually dissuading members of the audience from participating and eventually hustled farmers from the hall. Not all left but the majority including Corlette as someone came into the building and asked the Regional Chairman to leave.
The political activists were incensed that Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud was correcting a misinterpretation by residents of Buxton of a statement made by President Bharrat Jagdeo alleging that all farmers in Buxton are criminals.
In a statement issued last evening by the Office of the President, the Head of State insisted that he was grossly misrepresented and further reiterated that while he maintains that criminal elements have used Buxton as a cover, he holds the view that the vast majority of the people living in Buxton are decent law abiding citizens.
Minister Persaud said that this was never said and that there are indeed hard-working and law-abiding Buxtonians in the community. These residents who make up the vast majority, he noted, are being held hostage by the criminal elements who have forced some to flee the area out of fear.
About 120 farmers were present despite earlier attempts by some Opposition elements to urge them not to attend the meeting.
As was reported in some sections of the media, there was no evidence of heavy military presence after farmers stormed out of the building.
more bulletins
