One day after President Irfaan Ali stated that the Government will keep the door open to those Mocha squatters who lost their Court challenge to being removed from state lands, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton said the displaced residents ought to be returned to the land where many of them lived for more than three decades.

“Irfaan Ali knows that his political party is in trouble, that the PPP is going to lose the next elections. In the circumstance, he thinks he has to develop some favor with the African community and so what he is doing is trying to do damage control and repair the damage they did to the people in Mocha. He has no interest whatsoever in the people of Mocha. It is the normal political ploy. And once they are in government again, which we know wouldn’t happen, they will go back to their old ways”, Norton said at a press conference this morning.

The Opposition Leader said he believes the Government is playing politics with the lives of citizens, adding that after bulldozing the homes of the residents of Cane View Mocha, the President is now proclaiming himself to be their friend.

“Let us be clear, the people who ended up staying had businesses, they had poultry and a number of things, and they were being offered a house lot, and were told to get rid of what they had. We could not, as a political party in which the people of Mocha support, agree to that approach. And so, I am extremely happy that we advised them to seek adequate compensation. Now, I want to make it clear that the PPP had no intention of compensating the people adequately. They had no intention. Their intention was to do just what they did, bulldoze them,” the Opposition Leader said.

Mr. Norton said while he has taken note of the decision of Acting Chief Justice Roxane George to dismiss the case on the grounds that the residents had no legal documentation to the lands, he is of the opinion that the Government should now be sued for destruction of property.

“I do believe that there should be a case filed for the destruction of property. And I do believe that this Government is a Government that is hell bent on destroying people in this country,” he stated.

During a Facebook live broadcast on Thursday, President Ali told the displaced squatters that they should know that they have a friend in the Government.

“We are a humane government…We see every single citizen as a responsibility of the PPP/Civic government, and that is why we offered all those who were squatting in Mocha an opportunity, one that was fair. The few who were misled by Norton and the PNC and the AFC, yes, the court has ruled but we are a government for the people,” President Ali said on Thursday.

Though challenged in Court, President Ali said the PPP/C Administration is ready to welcome the displaced residents with open arms.

“Your president is ready to receive you. Your government, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government has an open door and open policy to make the life of every Guyanese better, including yours,” the President said.

Last week, Acting Chief Justice Roxanne George dismissed the case brought against the Government by the displaced squatters on the grounds that they had no legal documentation including title to the lands. The Chief Justice said applicants took a decision not to engage the government on the regularization process which it had offered.

The Government had long said the residents were squatting on its reserve and had served several notices for the persons who were living and farming there to move.

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