HOME Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee yesterday weighed in on the continued delay in the convening of a meeting of the Parliamentary Security Oversight Committee and contends that the main Opposition Leader, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, seems uninterested in a meeting.

“This is a critical committee. It amazes me that a man like Mr. Granger, who professes to be this big security Sahib, is not interested in such a meeting. It will do him and the Opposition well if the committee meets,” he said.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael Trotman, who is responsible for convening the meeting, had earlier this month committed a date before the National Assembly goes into recess on August 8. However, he told the Guyana Chronicle subsequently that this will not be possible until after the recess.
According to the Home Affairs Minister, the Parliamentary Security Oversight Committee provides a framework within which many issues can be addressed, particularly since the body will be able to summon officials from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), local intelligence bodies and even the subject Minister to appear before it.
“I don’t understand how all these experts don’t want a body like this to be functioning,” he said.

POLITICAL AGENDA
Rohee surmised that there is a political agenda behind the delayed convening of the Parliamentary Security Oversight Committee.
“It tells me a big story about political agendas, not to tie themselves down to that committee, but to run around like headless chickens spouting views on matters of security, rather than in a parliamentary framework, which is the best framework for such matters to be addressed,” he said.
The contention of several Government Members of Parliament (MPs) is that the Opposition is avoiding a meeting because the Chair has to be a Government MP.
Former Attorney-General, Mr. Doodnauth Singh had in 2009 tabled the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2009 in the National Assembly. The Bill was intended to amend the Constitution by inserting a new Article 119 D, providing for the establishment of a Standing Committee called the ‘Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector’, which would have responsibility for the policies and administration of the country’s Disciplined Services.
The move was in keeping with an agreement made by national stakeholders during security consultations as recent as last March. The original recommendation was made by a Special Select Committee reviewing the report of the Disciplined Forces Commission. The issue had also been the subject of discussion at the level of the Parliamentary Management Committee.
Since the commencement of the 10th Parliament, the combined Opposition has posed numerous questions on the security sector, and moved a few Motions demanding the appointment of Commissions of Inquiry (COIs) to investigate alleged breaches in the sector.
There are currently four sectoral committees responsible for economic services, social services, natural resources and foreign relations.
Written By Vanessa Narine