PPP “shall overcome” Nandlall issue – Rohee
- Notes matter hasn’t attracted attention of Party’s disciplinary committee
By Abena Rockcliffe
Even as he expressed tremendous optimism that the publicized recording of a conversation between the Attorney
PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee
General Anil Nandlall, and Senior Kaieteur News Reporter, Leonard Gildarie, has done little or no damage, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee is adamant “we (Party) shall overcome.”
The politician was at the time speaking at the party’s weekly press conference.
Rohee, at the forum, delivered three statements on behalf of his Party but none was about one of the most major issues facing the Guyanese society and that is the threat to press freedom which is imperative in a democracy.
However, he entertained questions on the issue and advocated for reporters to ask questions on the issue even when the PPP executive secretary Zulfikar Mustapha made it known that he was not prepared to allow any more queries on that particular issue.
Rohee, in his answers to the many questions pitched at him, reflected an unwavering support for Nandlall and even suggested that there was no immorality echoed in the profanity-laced recording.
Asked how the PPP plans to recover from the incident, Rohee in turned questioned, “what has happened to make us sickly?”
Rohee emphasised that the PPP has “weathered more difficult storms than this.” He added that “Whatever damage might have been done, if any at all, we shall overcome.”
Responding to a question as to whether the matter has attracted the attention of the PPP’s disciplinary committee, Rohee responded in the negative. He said that only the Party’s executive committee can make the decision to send a matter to that committee, and that that has so far not been done.
Rohee told reporters that he sees the matter differently from most sections of the media. The politician added that he noticed several statements made by Nandlall in the recording that did not capture the attention of the media.
Some of those statements that the General Secretary pointed to include the fact that the Attorney General said that he is not a thief, that he said he has no ulterior motives, and that his wife was innocent.
“These have not been captured, these are matters that should be reported too,” said Rohee.
In his capacity as Minister of Home Affairs—the Minister with responsibility for the security of every Guyanese citizen, Rohee was asked if he was at all concerned about the safety of those working at Kaieteur News who may be just as “innocent” as Nandlall’s wife. He said, “Whatever concerns I have are being addressed by the Guyana Police Force.”
Rohee was also asked if the Attorney General had at any point indicated to the fact that he was aware of a possible plan to result in an attack on Kaieteur News and take “innocent lives.” To this, the Minister responded that he would “prefer not to fuel that school of thought.”
He said every story has two sides “I want to look at the other side of the coin.”
Rohee added that there are two sides of the issue “wire tapping is one side of it and threats is the other side of it.”