APNU renews calls for removal of Rohee

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday renewed its call for the removal of Clement Rohee as Minister of

APNU leader, David Granger

Home Affairs. The Party leader, David Granger, told the media that the recent road accident on the Corentyne Coast, which claimed the lives of three children, is what provoked the call this time around. He said that the tragedy should serve as a warning to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force that the road traffic situation is out of control and that urgent change is needed. Granger said that the National Assembly had in July 2012, passed a Resolution of “no-confidence’ against Rohee and in his ability to exercise responsibility for human safety as Minister of Home Affairs. He said that the resolution called on the President Donald Ramotar to revoke Mr. Rohee’s appointment but that call was not heeded. Granger was adamant that the human safety situation in Guyana has deteriorated during Rohee’s eight-year tenure as Minister of Home Affairs. According to the politician, Guyana now loses lives to road accidents weekly. Granger told the media that other forms of lawlessness – including armed robberies, arson, banditry, contraband smuggling, gun-running, money-laundering, narcotics-trafficking, piracy, police brutality and corruption – have continued on a daily basis during Clement Rohee’s tenure. “Road accidents, particularly, are a grave human safety problem. There have been 57 deaths for 2014 already. There were 569 deaths over the five-year period, 2009-2013.” According to the opposition leader, the biggest contributory factors to fatalities have been the lack of effective Ministerial direction, lax law-enforcement and dangerous driving habits. There are now more than 80,000 vehicles on Guyana’s roads. He said that some drivers, however, “simply do not have the skill or experience to be entrusted with responsibility for human lives on public roads. Many drive recklessly or at unsafe speeds and display aggressive behaviour and poor road discipline. Too many persons drive under the influence of alcohol.” Nevertheless, Granger pointed out, the Guyana Police Force, exerts its energies on arresting hundreds of petty offenders and touts. These actions cannot stop the spiralling toll of fatalities. Such operations do not address the fundamental causes of fatalities. He said that it’s against this backdrop that APNU repeats its demand for President Donald Ramotar to revoke the appointment of Clement Rohee as Minister of Home Affairs. “Responsibility for human safety must be placed in the hands of a Minister who has the interest in curtailing the road carnage and in making our roads safe for our children.”

Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee

Rohee, after the shooting to death of three Lindeners during a protest, attracted a no confidence motion in the House. This matter eventually became one that was taken up in the courts. But before that, Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman had ruled that Rohee was banned pending the outcome of a meeting of the Privileges Committee. Trotman ruled that the motion was properly before the House after intense debate on its admissibility. In the interim he ruled that no motion or Bill in the Minister’s name would be entertained until the matter was concluded before the Committee. The court then ruled that the ban on Rohee was unconstitutional. Trotman acceded and agreed that Rohee could speak as a member of parliament but not as Minister. This was further modified since the Standing Orders allows for any Minister to speak on topical matters without notice. Now Rohee will enjoy full participation in the House. In his more than 6,000 -word ruling, Trotman stated that he arrived at his decision to allow Rohee to speak after consideration of the Guyana Constitution, the preliminary ruling by Chief Justice Ian Chang on the Rohee gag, the Parliamentary Standing Orders and the advice of legal and parliamentary practitioners locally and abroad. APNU then backed off, taking a different approach. The Party in most recent times just refused to pose any question to Rohee. Hence allocations for Rohee’s Ministry were approved without questioning during the last budget deliberations. Yesterday Kaieteur News asked Granger whether he thinks his party did the right thing as opposed to questioning the use of taxpayers’ money. His shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Winston Felix, added, “I am glad we did not cut the budget so now they (the government) have no excuse” for not buying what he described as important equipment that will better the standard of the police force. Asked, as well, why the different stance taken against Rohee, the APNU said that even though it had relaxed on the no confident motion it never viewed Rohee as a person of significance.