Crime is a major problem in Guyana, especially against innocent citizens and the business community. It has been on the rise since the turn of the century and the PPP regime has not done much to curb it, except for the Minister of Home Affairs to constantly fool the people that crime is on the decline when it is not.

Quote "Their (PPP/C) motivation is to continue to feed their blind supporters with empty promises and seeds of subliminal racism to ensure that in Guyana’s multi-ethnic, semi-literate society they can use the race card in this and future elections to defeat their opponents at the polls as they have done in the past.Unquote

The PPP has not done enough to fight crime

DEAR EDITOR, Undoubtedly, this election will mark the official start of a campaign between two parties, the new APNU+AFC Alliance and the old PPP which means that there will be no minority government like what happened in 2011. In this election, the people must make crime and the high number of unsolved murders their priority, and they should demand solutions from both parties. They know that the PPP is extremely good at making promises during the campaign but ignore them as soon as the election is over. For this reason, the people will not trust or believe anything the PPP says or promises in this election because they have not fulfilled any of their promises in previous elections. In terms of crime, the general population is totally fed up. Twenty-one murders in the first two months of 2015 is too much for the people to accept. It is not the kind of news that the people, especially those who have been robbed or lost their loved ones to criminals want to hear. It is particularly disheartening, coming especially at the start of the new year, when the nation is filled with hope for improvements in all sectors. The murder toll in Guyana is a haunting reality that the people must confront as a nation if they hope for a better life. The Government’s boast of the lowest levels of crime in decades rings delusional in the face of the murder statistics and the mountain of unsolved crime. The President continues to accept excuse after excuse from the Minister of Home Affairs for his very poor performance in solving crime. But the public has passed the point of accepting excuses for the PPP’s total failure to reduce crime and make Guyana a safer place. There are at least three murders a week, so if there is anyone who is entitled to read the riot act or crack the whip at the Minister and the PPP regime, it would be the public, who have had to suffer through one failed anti-crime strategy after another. In this election, the people have to hold the PPP responsible for its failure to protect the citizens from armed bandits and to guide the country to a safer place. After several years as the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Rohee does not now have the luxury of separating himself or his PPP regime from the failure of the security forces to protect the people and for the high number of unsolved murders. We invite Mr. Rohee, the President and the rest of the cabinet to return to the words of the PPP campaign manifesto in 2011, in particular its statement on “Crime reduction and human security” where the party stated that the success of the political, economic, social, technological and managerial dimensions require the safety and security in the country. Three years later, the people are as far away from enjoying a sense of safety and security as it was prior to when Jagdeo took power, if not further. In the face of increasing murders, not to mention the armed robbery and the other serious crimes that do not make it into the headlines, the evidence is mounting that Mr. Rohee has lost his way in the battle against crime and should resign. The latest tough talk on crime from the PPP regime reeks of desperation. There has not been a serious anti-crime fighting strategy or a crime solution programme by the PPP. Had they had any, the problem of crime would have been solved long ago. What is lacking is the effective multi-pronged approach to fight crime that the APNU+AFC Alliance would implement and deploy in the service for a safer, more secure nation. The Alliance is fully aware that human and economic progress on a sustainable basis and meaningful democracy are not possible unless crime is brought under control, with some assurance of human safety and security. In the context of the high incidence of crime and murders that now hold the country in its grip, these are haunting words. Even without empirical data, it is safe to say that crime is having a dampening impact on business, communities and personal confidence in the country. The enjoyment of life and property in Guyana is only possible in a climate of personal security. Without it, people become hesitant and fearful of taking risks in every aspect of life. The Minister needs to develop a workable crime plan in the shortest possible time. Preferably, before another life is lost. Guyana cannot realize its full potential with this level of crime and murders. Reducing crime will take more than increased budgetary allocation. It requires skills and competent personnel. An APNU+AFC government will begin anew until every woman, man, child, and the entire society can safely traverse the length and breadth of Guyana without fear of being raped, robbed, maimed, or murdered. No one with even a modicum of common sense or conscience can deny that times are hard in Guyana. Times are hard for a majority of Guyanese, and they have been hard for a long, long time because of the PPP’s dull economic policies which benefit the rich and powerful, and not the masses. Corruption and poor management of the economy by the PPP regime are also part of the reasons for the hard times experienced by the masses. The economy is forcing people, especially the youths who cannot find jobs to sustain themselves, to commit some of the most horrible crimes. This is most telling and the PPP had better wake up to the reality that “it’s the economy, stupid”, to quote Bill Clinton. Dr. Asquith Rose Chandra Deolall Dr. Merle Spencer-Marks