MINISTER of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, says the administration intends to proceed with the two Bills that he tabled in the National Assembly last Thursday, and the combined opposition will be answerable for, “any move to shoot them down again”.

Rohee was on Friday last speaking at the Peoples Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C’s) headquarters, Freedom House, where he lamented the fact that the combined opposition, on the previous day, had voted down the amendments proposed to the Firearms Act.
Prior to the fallout in the House over the proposed amendments to the gun laws of Guyana, Minister Rohee had tabled for first readings, amendments to the Evidence Acts along with the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Bill.
The proposed amendments in the name of the Minister of Home Affairs has begun its parliamentary navigation and the minister said that the administration will be moving ahead with its debate and a call for the second reading at the next sitting of the House.
Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, had rejected the minster’s proposed amendments to the gun laws and has said that any Bill, regardless of merit, will be defeated as long as it is piloted by Rohee.
At the time, he said that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) along with the Alliance for Change (AFC) was looking to send a message to the Executive by refusing their support for the changes in the legislation.
Rohee told media operatives last Friday that one of the Bills he has presented to the House, and is now scheduled for debate, looks to tackle the vexed issue of the use of vehicles in the commission of a crime.
The minister said that “a lot of criminals use vehicles to commit crimes”.
These vehicles used in the commission of crimes, according to the minister, in many cases, are either borrowed or rented, and he suggested that in some cases taxis are even utilized.
There are a number of gaps in the law, Rohee said, and he reminded that the Bills he tabled have already gone through the first readings in the House and are now gearing for debate, and they look to ensure that severe penalties can be instituted “when persons are found guilty”.
The minister described the amendments set for the next debate in Parliament as, “a progressive piece of anti-crime legislation”.
According to Rohee, the second piece of legislation set for debate when Parliament meets again and is in his name, looks to deal with professionals and their obligations to appear in court and present evidence.
The changes proposed under the Evidence (Amendment) Bill will seek to reduce the demands and requirements of the officials having to spend several hours in court.
He says that the proposed amendments deal particularly with medical practitioners.
Rohee says that with the change in the evidence law in place, the practitioners can file reports and would only have to make physical appearances to give evidence, upon request by the court.
Reminded of Granger’s threat to defeat any Bill piloted by him, Minister Rohee said, “Any move to shoot them down again will be seen in a similar manner”.
The minister said that as a result of the dynamics of Parliament, the Bills have already begun their process and as long as they have already been read by the Clerk of the National Assembly, then the next stage is to move to the second reading for a debate before a vote is taken