THE People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/c) has expressed deep concern over the shocking rejection by the Parliamentary opposition of three Bills of vital importance to the security sector of Guyana. In a tersely worded release issued yesterday, the party said it is an undisputed fact that crime and security are matters of national importance, and affect all Guyanese right across the political divide. “Therefore, political leaders are expected to treat these matters with the importance that they deserve; and indeed, should never use issues of such exceptional importance to play their game of political football. The people of Guyana simply deserve better from their leaders,” the release stated.

The three Bills at reference, together with the Firearms (Amendment) Bill which was rejected by the Opposition earlier this year, constitute a menu of measures designed to correct certain identified deficiencies in the law, as they continue their efforts to improve our ability as a nation, and to wage war against criminals and criminal activities.

“These Bills were devoid of any political content whatsoever. Their content and purpose were only to target criminals. Yet the opposition rejected them,” the release affirmed.

Reasons
The release pointed out that the Guyanese people, including the opposition parties’ supporters, were neither afforded the courtesy of a single reason nor any explanation whatsoever for those parties’ rejection of the bills, and people are therefore forced to speculate.
The release said two reasons can be advanced for the opposition parties’ position on the matter: Firstly, these bills were presented by Minister Clement Rohee, so that regardless of how important a bill may be to the lives of the people of Guyana, the Opposition will reject it because it is presented by Minister Rohee. “This approach is not only devoid of common sense, but is demonstrative of the extent to which the Opposition will descend as they continue to play childish political games with issues that affect the life and physical safety of our citizens,” the release maintained.

The PPP/C release noted that, after the unfortunate incident in Linden last year, the Opposition made certain irrational and wild statements suggesting that they had evidence implicating Minister Rohee in that incident. A Commission of Inquiry was established, and over one hundred and twenty million dollars of tax payers’ money were used to hold that inquiry, and the opposition’s leaders also appeared as lawyers at this Commission. They called to testify at the Commission witnesses, both locally and from overseas. Minister Rohee did not hide, but took the stand and was cross-examined by them, and they were unable to adduce a scintilla of evidence implicating him in any wrongdoing. The release said, “Indeed, the Commissioners, three of whom were from the Caribbean, exonerated Minister Rohee absolutely in their final report.

“The Opposition did not stop there,” the release affirmed, “but even while the Commission was still ongoing, the opposition moved a motion in the National Assembly declaring no confidence in Minister Rohee, and the PPP/C Government advised them that the Constitution did not permit such a motion to be moved or passed.

“They, nevertheless, stubbornly moved and passed that motion, and they next moved a motion to gag Minister Rohee from speaking in the National Assembly. Again, they were advised of the unconstitutionality of the motion, and nevertheless did not heed the advice, and stubbornly moved and passed this motion.

“We challenged it in the court, (and) the court ruled that they had no right and power to gag an elected member from speaking in the National Assembly. They then claimed that they did not understand this court ruling. We returned to the court and asked for a clarification. The court again made it clear that they have no power to prevent an elected member of the National Assembly from speaking. They never appealed that court ruling,” the release explained.

According to the release, the Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman, who was elected by the opposition, next ruled that they were wrong to move a motion of no-confidence and a motion to gag Minister Rohee, and declared both motions to be unconstitutional. “Instead of doing the honourable thing and accept that their position was mistaken and move forward with the business of the country to improve the welfare of our people, the opposition took a most childish and vindictive stance. They are ready to sacrifice the security of citizens to satisfy some strange egoistic desires,” the release stated.

The second reason for their actions, the PPP/C said, may be a deliberate design to lend support to criminals, since the opposition parties’ historical association with criminal elements is well documented. The opposition parties’ persistent attacks on effective agencies within the Police Force — for example, the Black Clothes Unit — are well known; and maybe this is another component of their support for criminals, the release speculated.

The party release noted that the opposition parties’ dependence on criminal elements in their demonstrations and protests is well known. “We say very clearly that, in the war against crime, there are only two sides. You either stand on the side of the law and law-abiding citizens, or you stand on the side of the criminals. The Opposition seems to have chosen their side – the side of the criminals,” the PPP/C maintained.