– administration working to address protest actions
…says Dr. Luncheon
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said yesterday the current administration, under President Donald Ramotar, is working towards strategically addressing  protest action following the 2011 polls. Activists from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have been engaging in several protest actions, one of which was an illegal march that ended in the use of force by law enforcement officials to disperse the protesters.
Luncheon stated that the political parties are engaged in talks and parliamentary discussions, and when the National Assembly convenes, they, are expected to embrace a resolution to the protest actions.
According to him, the president has also engaged stakeholders from the security sector on the matter.
The HPS said the experience of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) with post elections disturbances is such that some elements of the strategy will draw heavily from the responses made in the past to address these issues.
The effort to have these matters addressed, Luncheon observed, signals the administration’s commitment to the Guyanese people as it relates to preserving public order and public safety.
When asked about the use of rubber bullets by law- enforcement officers to disperse protesters, he noted that the Home Affairs Ministry has already responded to this issue – a response that has recognised the fact that the protest action was done illegally and that the actions of law enforcement officers on the ground were rooted in the commitment to preserving public order and safety.
Luncheon, addressing the use of force to deal with future protest actions, stated that this would be dependent on the particulars of the situation.
The HPS maintained that the use of force is one of several actions that law enforcement officers have in their repertoire to address such issues and remain true to their commitment to the Guyanese people to ensure that a state of order and security prevails.
He stressed that the maintenance of public order and safety is included in the statutory responsibilities of law enforcement officers.