Guyana minister killed, murder may be political

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Apr 23 (Reuters) Gunmen shot dead Guyana's agriculture minister, two siblings and a security guard in what the government said was a well-planned attack that may be linked to coming elections.

Assailants stormed the home of Satyadeow Sawh outside the capital Georgetown in the early morning, killing him, a brother and sister visiting from Canada and a security guard, said police spokesman Ivelaw Whittaker yesterday.

The killing was the latest in a string of violent attacks that have shaken the South American former British colony, including the recent shooting of a prominent building contractor. The motive was not immediately clear.

But President Bharrat Jagdeo government said in a statement after an emergency cabinet meeting that the murders seemed a ''well-planned and executed assassination by a large, heavily-armed gang.'' ''This attack may be part of a sinister plan to impact the outcome of the upcoming regional and general elections,'' the statement said. Presidential and parliamentary elections were due by Aug. 4 this year but the country's elections commission has said it would not be able to meet that deadline.

Guyana's major opposition party, the People's National Congress Reform, called the killing a ''dastardly act.'' Sawh's murder ''poses a severe challenge to this nation in political, social and security terms,'' it said in a statement.

The government said it may seek law enforcement help from abroad and warned Guyanese ''not to be misled and to prevent extremists from hijacking the political agenda of the country.'' REUTERS SK RAI0428