Walter Rodney COI extended to January 2015; hearings to resume on Oct 20

By Kurt Campbell

This is according to Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon. With no clear indication that this will be the last extension granted to the Presidential COI, public hearings are expected to resume on October 20 and will run for three weeks until November 7.

Having initially intended to last four months following its April commencement date, the Commission was extended in June to September 30 by President Donald Ramotar.

This second extension to the life of the ongoing Inquiry was granted in spite of the People’s National Congress (PNC) hinting their unwillingness to support additional funding.

President Ramotar’s extension in June received widespread criticism from the PNC and indications that other extensions and any request for additional funding will not be supported.

The President, however, is reported to have signaled his administration’s unwavering intent to pump more money into the COI if needed.

He said the work must come to a completion and the truth in relation to the death of Guyanese Historian and Political Dr. Walter Rodney must be arrived at.

The PNC believes that both time and money is being wasted on an inquiry that is not likely to reveal the truth surrounding Rodney’s death and is being used for political gains by the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).

A total of $112 million was approved by the National Assembly earlier in the year to fund to the COI which commenced work in February and public hearings in April.

Dr. Walter Rodney, a Guyanese political activist and intellectual, died on June 13, 1980. He is believed to have been murdered and had written several books prior to his untimely demise.

The COI among other things will inquire who or what was responsible for the explosion that led to Rodney’s death, whether it was an accident or an act of terrorism and the role of some persons and agencies, if any, in his death.