Rohee tells Enmore residents to boycott official Enmore Martyrs observance

The People’s Progressive Party has issued a call on residents of Enmore to boycott Tuesday’s official wreath laying and commemoration ceremony for the Enmore Martyrs at the monument site.

The Party’s General Secretary Clement Rohee wants the Enmore residents to stay away from the event because the people who will be speaking at the event are people who, according Rohee, are people who do not represent the will of the Guyanese people.

The PPP held its own commemoration event and public meeting on Monday evening in the East Coast village of Enmore to remember the sugar workers who were shot dead by colonial police during a protest back in 1948.

The event looked more like a campaign meeting as the speakers repeatedly linked the struggle of the Enmore martyrs to the PPP’s current protest action against the elections results.

“I hear they announcing that the neemakaram Prime Minister is coming …to lay wreath for the Enmore Martyrs. Enmore residents must ensure they don’t go. Enmore residents should ensure they boycott that activity because those who will be speaking there and those who will be represented there do not represent the electorate and the will of the people and we must take a resolute stand against those people” Rohee said.

Rohee said his party decided to host its own meeting and pay its own tribute because it wanted to be among the grassroots people of Enmore. He told the crowd of just over 200 people that his party will continue with the “struggle” for its supporters.

At one stage during the meeting Rohee asked the crowd whether the party should contest local elections under the current GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally and whether the the party should enter parliament right now. In both instances, the small crowd shouted “no”

Rohee said he considered that the voice of the people and the party will now listen to the voice of its people. He also offered an apology to party supporters for not doing enough of that in the past.

Earlier on Monday, the General Secretary and the former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds laid floral tributes at the graveside of the Enmore martyrs at Le Repentir cemetery.