• says Granger’s promise of ‘a safer place’ soon is like offering Guyanese a pie in the sky

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has dismissed the pronouncement by President David Granger that Guyana will “soon be a safer place”, saying this  is like offering Guyanese a pie in the sky.

In a statement to the media today, the PPP said:

• Bandits are now at the gates of the UNDP; International Public Servants are now under attack.
• Hotels where tourists stay are under attack.
• The shopkeeper is under attack, so is the farmer.
• Residents within the peace of their homes are under attack, so are countless others.

“The criminals are here, there and everywhere; they are omnipresent,” the PPP said.

It noted that President Granger first called for a crime-fighting plan and “secondly, we were told that the plan was with (Public Security Minister Khemraj) Ramjattan; thirdly, that the plan was with the National Security Council which Granger chairs; fourthly, that the plan was with Commissioner of Police (to be tweaked); fifthly, that the plan was to be made public; sixthly that there is no plan – in fact, there was never a plan, it was all a plan of deception that lasted for one year and more”.

The PPP said “now we are told that soon a Security Sector Reform Action Plan will kick-off,  but what about the financing of the plan? Who will finance the plan? Will the plan be financed solely from the government coffers? How much will the Brits contribute? How long is the plan for? What are the key components of the plan? Will the plan be made public?”

The PPP alluded to the fact that Guyanese were recently told by the Commissioner of Police (ag) that the SWAT Team is part of a “holistic crime fighting strategy” but the party is questioning “what strategy is he talking about, is there one?”

“If so why has it not been made public, or at least shared with the stakeholders, as they promised they would? Perhaps there is none,” the Opposition party stated.

The PPP also stated: “And Felix had once said that Guyana does not need a SWAT Team and now the police at the highest level, are singing praises to the existing SWAT Team set up by the PPP/C administration.  There was even talk about disbanding the SWAT Team.The Party views (Barry) Dataram’s disappearance as a second slap in the face of the Granger administration who had recklessly legitimized his questionable bona fides by setting up a Commission of Inquiry into the allegations he made against CANU. The first slap in Granger’s face was when the Commission of Inquiry came up empty handed.”

The PPP said that, up to now, after 16 months in government and notwithstanding all the rattle-tattle while in Opposition that there was is National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP),  when in fact there was one. On the question of security of the Prisons, the PPP noted that Guyanese were told that plans are afoot to expand the Mazaruni Prisons.

“Ramjattan must say what is the status of the Guyana Prison Service Strategic Plan. Has it been abandoned? Has it been replaced? If so with what? Is the Mazaruni Prisons expansion plan part of the Guyana Prison Service Strategic Plan? What is all this secrecy about?  Why keep taxpayers in the dark?”