Hoyte pledges defiance of 'illegitimate' order
People's National Congress (PNC) leader, Desmond Hoyte, yesterday vowed to keep up the peaceful political protests launched by his party in the wake of its rejection of the December 15 election results. "And as long as they [PNC supporters] continue to protest I will be there," Hoyte pledged. He reiterated his appeal for them to "act in a calm and disciplined manner." Hoyte told a press conference at his party's Congress Place headquarters that the PNC would resist the attempts of President Janet Jagan and prime minister-designate and Home Affairs Minister, Sam Hinds, to take away people's democratic right of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association; and right to protest. It was a pledge he reiterated to the thousands of party supporters who had gathered at Congress Place, reassuring them that the "struggle will continue from today [yesterday] in a highly disciplined way" and that the defiance of the Order [issued by Prime Minister Hinds] will start now." The Order (which Hoyte described as a declaration of a limited state of emergency) was issued by Hinds in his capacity as Home Affairs Minister on Monday, under the Public Order Act, banning processions, marches and meetings in Greater Georgetown for one month effective from yesterday. Hoyte said that the Chief Justice's [Desiree Bernard] ruling did not legitimise the Jagan government since it was a ruling on the very narrow issue of the legal basis of the premature declaration by Chairman of the Elections Commission, Doodnauth Singh, SC. He said that the party's attorneys intended to appeal the ruling and a spokesman for the chambers of McKay and Moore confirmed that the grounds for the appeal were in the process of being prepared. He maintained that it was the PNC's contention that the Jagan administration was illegitimate and therefore the Order purporting to ban protest marches, processions and assemblies in the Greater Georgetown area was also illegitimate. Questioned whether, because of the party's view on the legitimacy of the Order, it would be challenged in the Courts, Hoyte responded that such a decision would depend on the party's lawyers. But he said that the most effective counter to the action of the government was the political action being taken by the party. He claimed that the action had driven Mrs Jagan to move from place to place, a most remarkable occurrence for a president, and vowed that the protest would continue until the fraudulent elections were corrected. Hoyte said too that the Order was prompted by the government's need to stifle dissent as it was uncomfortable with the protests being mounted by the PNC. He called the Order banning marches a tactical blunder which would only serve "to reinforce the determination of those persons who refuse to accept the results of the fraudulent elections of December 15, [1997]." 
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