RDC 4 Councillors were on the wrong side of the law, VC admits

REGIONAL VICE CHAIRMAN MR. SAMUEL SANDY ADMITTED that
Demerara/Mahaica (Region Four) Councillors erred by summoning an armed policeman to
forcibly remove journalist Mr. Rawle Nelson from Thursday’s statutory meeting at its Triumph,
East Coast Demerara head office.
Newly-elected Regional Democratic Council (RDC) members, still unfamiliar with the rules,
were uneasy with the presence of the www.aroundtheregions.com journalist at Thursday’s
meeting knowing the government’s COVID-19 national relief package was up for discussion.
Fearing disclosure by Nelson, RDC members representing the A Partnership for National Unity,
Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) and the ruling Peoples Progressive Party Civic coalitions
demanded he be removed.
Sandy’s was the sole dissenting voice.
Despite his plea, it was Sandy’s colleagues, APNU+AFC members, Regional Chairman, Mr.
Daniel Seeram, and Mr. Neilson M c Kenzie who led the chorus demanding a law enforcement
official to evict the www.aroundtheregions.com journalist.
The armed rank turned up at the Triumph, East Coast Demerara, headquarters of the RDC 4
during the statutory and announced to Nelson that he had orders to arrest him because he was
“wanted at the station”.
He was escorted to the Beterverwagting Police Station, obliquely opposite the RDC
headquarters, but after some 15 minutes was inexplicably instructed to leave.
While Nelson was taken to the police station, RDC officials instructed its security officials,
without explanation, to lock the gates and deny only Nelson re-entry to its compound, usually
opened to the general public.
Sandy admitted his disappointment over Nelson’s controversial removal by the police rank who
arrived prepared for confrontation.

The RDC Vice Chairman said that shortly after Nelson’s forcible removal, he informed the
Councillors, many who are rookies, that they were ill-advised.
“It’s the people’s business…I deliberated and I did explain that when it comes to committee
meetings, those are in-house because people will have varying views and when those are
concreted then they are laid at the RDC for adoption and ratification,” VC Sandy told
www.aroundtheregions.com afterwards.
He had suggested, that because of the ongoing deadly COVID-19 pandemic, the monthly RDC
meeting should be streamed live. But PPP/C Councillor Mr. Deoraj Nauth led his other
colleagues in steadfastly opposing the suggestion.
“We have a case where Mr. Nauth and others are not inclined to have the meeting streamed
online. I did not object to the presence of the (journalist) at previous meetings because at the end
of the day he doesn’t need an invitation as media personnel,” the VC stressed.
“I did ask this afternoon at the meeting given that (if) we do not want the media or the public to
be present, then the better thing to do is to stream the meeting live so that the people can be
updated on what is happening. So instead of the media person joining the meeting (physically)
because of the whole COVID protocol situation, they can follow us online. But we can’t close
the gallery and or (we will have to) provide an option,” Sandy argued.
He said after listening to Nauth he suspected that there was a significant amount of animosity
emanating from most of the members from the government side of the house because the issue of
the $25,000.00 COVID-19 Cash Grant was slated for discussion.
Sandy explained he got the feeling that some RDC members believe Nelson’s presence was
solely to cover issues surrounding the government’s COVID relief distribution efforts.
“I had to make a statement afterwards as the PPP Councillors went around informing other
Councillors that I was the one who invited him (Nelson) to the meeting. Most of our Councillors
had to get up and let them know that I am a very fair man. Not because I spoke about what is
lawful means that I am the person that invited Mr. Nelson or supporting his presence. I was
merely following the law, and if the law states that the man has a right to be there then what do
you expect me to say?” the VC queried rhetorically.

Sandy assured that in the future, neither media workers nor members of the public will be treated
with such disdainful disrespect by RDC elected officials. He said Nelson’s incident was a
learning experience for freshmen, sophomore and senior Councillors.
“You can’t implement new policies on the spot and have them be retroactive. If you don’t want
the public in the gallery then that policy decision should have been taken a long time ago, and no
decision of the RDC should be in contention with the law. If the law states that there must be a
public gallery then there must be a public gallery,” said Sandy, himself a freshman, but speaking
with the insight of a senior.
Said he: “You can’t implement new policies on the spot and have them be retroactive because if
it is that you don’t want the public in the gallery, then that policy decision should have been
taken a long time ago and no decision of the RDC should be in contention with the law. If the
law states that there must be a public gallery, then there must be a public gallery.”
The VC said that the entire situation was very insightful and noted that most of the things raised
resulted in him doing research which supported Nelson’s contention that the media and public
have a right to attend RDC statutory meetings.
“l know that you have written some things about me that I didn’t like, but at the end of the day
principles…regulations (and) the law must be followed and I will not allow any pettiness,” to
disrupt RDC meetings in the future, Sandy promised.