A STABROEK News Reporter yesterday managed to get Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon to sing at his usual post-Cabinet press briefing when she asked him to confirm government’s position on the retention of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, despite him repeatedly mentioning that the administration will stick by its position to keep the man on the job. Reporters were treated to a good laugh when Dr Luncheon, also Head of the Presidential Secretariat, resorted to singing “We shall not be moved” in his bid to make clear that the present Donald Ramotar-led Cabinet is one of the more “resolute cabinets” as far as its position on the retention of Rohee is concerned.
“I didn’t believe I could have been more unambiguous but if you (the Stabroek News Reporter) would like me to say that (that government will not yield to the opposition’s request to remove Rohee), [do] you want to give me words to clarify, if there’s need for clarification? What would you like me to say that is even more unambiguous?” Luncheon asked.
He had earlier in the press conference described Rohee as one of government’s best ministers and remarked with regards to the opposition: “I look forward to the fight. I don’t believe that they have a leg to stand on but I quite concede that their rhetoric over time has indeed forced them into an irretrievable position. As Mohammed Ali said, let’s get ready for the rumble.”
Meanwhile, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall told Guyana Times in an interview, recently, that the power to rescind appointments or effect the removal of Cabinet ministers lies exclusively with the head of state, President Donald Ramotar.
He condemned the move by the opposition to link the Home Affairs Minister to the fatal shooting of two young men by police officers. “The home affairs minister is not responsible, and is statutorily prohibited from having anything to do with the day-to-day running and operations of the Guyana Police Force.”
      
He said: “Does the opposition want to convey the impression that Rohee ordered the shooting or gave instructions for the ranks to behave in the manner that they did in both incidents?”
According to Nandlall, the opposition is merely using the recent shootings as a “red herring” to achieve its wider aim of removing Rohee from office, since it failed to do so through the National Assembly. “It’s a political agenda to remove a minister from the government. It is an agenda driven purely by political reasons.”
The AG explained that the opposition did not appear genuinely concerned about the shooting deaths, as the focus was on calling for the removal of the minister rather than reforming the police force.

USE OF LETHAL FORCE
Meanwhile, Luncheon, at the presser, noted that police officers’ behaviour of recent time involving the use of lethal force has attracted nationwide and, particularly, Cabinet’s attention. “The recent episodes have and are being used to politically malign the police force and to threaten the civilian authorities with…no-confidence utterances and ultimatum.
“The use of lethal force is the subject in all jurisdictions of force orders, procedures and rules. Training and cultivation of experiences address the human factor. Everywhere and with different frequency the rules are breached and fatal consequences can occur.
“Such instances are investigated mandatorily and the records would show increasing numbers of errant law enforcement officers being subjected to investigations to charges and trials. Prevention is still a much better option and Cabinet is aware of the relevant planned interventions in the design of the currently being implemented security sector strategic plan, particularly of the Guyana Police Force,” Dr. Luncheon said.