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FM
Former Member
One seat majority damages Guyana’s moral authority at UN gun talksPDFPrintE-mail
Written by Gary Eleazar   
Wednesday, 20 March 2013 21:21

THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is currently at the United Nations Headquarters pressing for an Arms Trade Treaty, but the recent negative vote in the National Assembly by the combined political opposition has weakened Guyana’s “moral authority to speak on the issue”. This is according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who yesterday, in an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said that the fact that Guyana has been lobbying for the Arms Trade Treaty and has managed to gain significant support on the issue makes the rationale behind the opposition’s negative vote even more questionable.
“It’s a serious blow to the message we have been repeating in different circles, especially at the UN”.
Rodrigues-Birkett reminded of the importance of an Arms Trade Treaty in place, and said that had the Parliament criminalised the trafficking of arms and gun parts, “it would have added to our voice and give us more moral authority to speak on the issue”.
The Foreign Affairs Minister told the Guyana Chronicle that the trade of small arms and light weapons must be included in an Arms Trade Treaty.
The existing conventions in place, according to Rodrigues-Birkett, “don’t go far enough”.
She says that Guyana, along with CARICOM, is pushing for a treaty that would make the transparency and conditions of the “trade more air-tight”.
The minister also spoke of the fact that Guyana is geographically located close to producers of illicit drugs, as well as arms producers, and reminded of the relationship shared between firearms and drugs.
The 10 day conference currently under way in New York follows on the recent Inter-sessional Meeting of Heads of Government in Haiti last month, where crime and security had been underscored.
The CARICOM heads had expressed the hope that “the international community adopts tangible and effective measures to regulate the trade in conventional weapons” at this UN Conference.
At the Haiti meeting, the Heads of Government expressed grave concern over the unregulated trade in conventional weapons, including small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, “which has exacted an unbearable toll on the security and the well-being of our citizenry, and the development of our States”.
On Thursday last, the Parliamentary Opposition defeated the Minister of Home Affair’s bid to pilot amendments to Guyana’s gun laws.
Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, had said that the move was meant to send a message to the Executive.

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You should NOT be surprise. Moses, Ramjhaaaaatan, GR and others are concerned ONLY with themselves, to HELL with the Guyanese People. These SICK People rather the Country suffer, as long as they seem to gain Political Points.

Nehru

Its time the Guyanese populace take the stand against the sinister motives of the joint opposition, its clear for all to see, the joint opposition is pre-occupied with vendetta and witching hunting, and not interested in putting the country first.

FM

excuse excuse more laws and no sherrif you can pass all the law you want and windowdress  it fancy if you have no one to enforce it you only trying to fool the guyanese people

FM

No amount of damage control done by the goons of the opposition can convenience the populace about what they did in parliament is correct and just, even in their "strongholds" the constituents are giving them a cold shoulder

FM

The joint opposition from their actions has proven to be totally anti-working, a simple survey will reveal, the populace will vote out the joint opposition at any snap elections

FM

Ms Rodrigues needed to read a bit on the nature of morality. It is not given nor awarded to or  approved by any. It is self affirming. It is the right thing to do even if one man alone believed it and the rest of the world doubted.

 

The one seat majority is complimented by the minority minority. It is the minority that ought not to yammer about the one seat majority. They are the ones holding office despite  the majority is kept out of office on account of an onerous rule i. That minority rule is what has them in office so this yammering about the one seat majority supplanting their legitimacy is nonsense. I do not see them making a case for a super majority to manage the state's resources. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

 

The opposition is not against arms regulation. It is against the hypocrisy that the arms trade is contingent on its offering to Parliament by Rohee.  ALso, one must remember, this was the government that rejected aid for a comprehensive crime fighting policy inclusive of the building of a state of the art forensic lab. They refused that and only recently hired at the nation's expense a private group to offer up the training. Only a dullard will tell us that the kinds of training we are paying for is superior to the one we would have got with multinational support.

 

Indeed many die by the gun these days but consider also the violence against our young under aged girls. Last week the claim was made that 3000 leaves school yearly and of those 1000 was on account of incest or rape. What a travesty! Why is the sexual offenses bill left resting on the President's desk?

 

This PPP milks everything for political value. It is not satisfied with the one seat majority but contented with the one seat minority status and still holding office. It is not content with Rohees failures to reassure the nation he can do his job but complains when after years of mediocre performance he is given a cold shoulder.

 

Move him. It is not like the PPP is not into playing shuffle board with ministers. After all, they have ministers who are geniuses who can move from health to agriculture or from agriculture to mining or I bet if a portfolio existed for high wire walking any could do it even the fat one would be deemed nimble for that role. This Rohee squatting where he is is an in your face move by them. They care little about any negotiation. They care about in your face autocracy and its attendant arrogance. And that one seat majority that checks their absolute power is the  source of their gall.

 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by Conscience:

Its time the Guyanese populace take the stand against the sinister motives of the joint opposition, its clear for all to see, the joint opposition is pre-occupied with vendetta and witching hunting, and not interested in putting the country first.

As per norm more Garbage from Counsee.

 

IT IS ROHEE WHO HAS PUT GUYANA IN THIS POSITION. 

 

The majority of Guyana have lost confidence in ROHEE.

FM
Originally Posted by Mitwah:

Rohee must go.

This statement is now laughable.

 

The courts and former AFC leader Trotman ruled that Rohee has every right to speak and submit bills in parliament. An independent commission of Inquiry consisting of respectable judges ruled that Rohee played no part in the killing of terrorists in Linden. In fact the bullets found on the terrorists killed did not belong to the police.

 

Any uneducated person will tell you that the opposition cannot "vote" a minister out of office.

 

Now that the AFC has mud on their faces, they are now slinging it around in disgrace. The AFC is finished. Karma is now taking its toll on the AFC.

FM
Originally Posted by Cobra:

Guyana need a budget every year and Minister Ashni will make a remarkable presentation in parliament on the 25th. Note: Ramjattan acted prematurely in his statement to cut funding for NCN, GINA among other areas that is directly attached to the ruling party, and that give APNU peace of mind to do the unthinkable. This will be another test to our parliamentary system. I expect to see the same on the 25th that happened in 2012. AFC/APNU voted down the crime bill and support drug trafficking and criminals. Guyana's crime problem is everyone's problem except AFC & APNU.When someone get robbed and gunned down, it remains with Granger and Ramjattan. 

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:

Rohee must go.

This statement is now laughable.

 

The courts and former AFC leader Trotman ruled that Rohee has every right to speak and submit bills in parliament. An independent commission of Inquiry consisting of respectable judges ruled that Rohee played no part in the killing of terrorists in Linden. In fact the bullets found on the terrorists killed did not belong to the police.

 

Any uneducated person will tell you that the opposition cannot "vote" a minister out of office.

 

Now that the AFC has mud on their faces, they are now slinging it around in disgrace. The AFC is finished. Karma is now taking its toll on the AFC.

Karma??

 

You must be joking Pandit Kwame Yuji?

 

The opposition is very clear - ROHEE must go from the Ministry of HOME Affairs.  No body want his to leave the house, he was elected to be in the House.

 

But of course you are too dumb and dotish Yuji to understand that!

FM

The time has come for the joint opposition to get their acts together, playing partisan politics will take the country no where, its a very  irresponsible act by the joint opposition to vote down such a critical legislation.

FM

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