Ogunseye stands by controversial statements made at public meeting

On Tuesday, Mr. Ogunseye told reporters that many Guyanese are still being marginalised and therefore, he still believes there is a need for protests.

Ogunseye stands by controversial statements made at public meeting

Despite the barrage of criticism that he has faced over his statements at a Buxton public meeting, longtime political activist and Executive of the Working People’s Alliance, Tacuma Ogunseye is standing by his statements about the need for widespread protests in the country, including by the joint services.

Ogunseye has faced criticism from the President and several of his Ministers, as well as some Opposition officials.

 On Tuesday, Mr. Ogunseye told reporters that many Guyanese are still being marginalised and therefore, he still believes there is a need for protests.

“Now, our choice of language, we are not in Parliament, we are at the street corner and our understanding of the Guyanese street corner politics is that when you go to the street corner as they say, you have to roll up your sleeves. When the PPP go to Babu John, they roll up their sleeves, they don’t speak like if they are in Parliament. And I am convinced, and the WPA is convinced that our language was appropriate for the street corner and the test of it, is not whether the government agrees; the test of it, is whether it had the desired effect,” Mr Ogunseye said.

Senior Government Officials have accused the WPA executive of stirring racial trouble with his statement and language. He was also accused of making seditious statements.

But according to Mr Ogunseye, he is ready to defend his statement in the Courts, if the need arises.

“Once they come with treason charges, we will not treat it as a legal matter; we will see it as what it is, a political matter, and I will go in the court and plead guilty with explanation and we will fight it from there,” the WPA Executive Member told reporters.

APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Geeta Chandan-Edmond has come under attack from the WPA after she too condemned the statements made during the public meeting. In issuing her condemnation, MP Chandan-Edmond said the sentiments expressed could lead to public disorder and anarchy.

But WPA Executive Member, Dr David Hinds has accused MP Chandan-Edmond of throwing her fellow Opposition Members under the bus.

“Our line was simply do not condemn fellow opposition members and allow the government to use your condemnation to further prosecute and criminalize our party. And so, in that context, we are not unhappy with the statement made by the Opposition Leader because we are satisfied that he did not cross that line that we had laid down,” Dr Hinds said.

Mr Norton said while the words uttered by the WPA official were “badly chosen,” they came from a place of frustration due to the current state of affairs in Guyana.

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