New Nation - November 2012

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Vol. 55, No. 2 Organ of the PNCR November 2012 [email protected] Price: $8

Clement Rohee must GOMinister Clement Rohee's appear-

nce and performance before theinden Commission of Inquiry was aolitical catastrophe for the People'srogressive Party/Civicdministration. His responses to

ntense interrogation by attorneysor A Partnership for National Unityonfirmed the public's worst fearshat the management of public secu-ty in this country is in the wrong

ands.Mr. Rohee has served in theabinet continuously for over twen-

y years. He was appointed, first, asMinister of State for Foreign Affairs

nd later as, Minister of Foreignffairs from 1992 to 2001; second,s Minister of Foreign Trade andnternational Cooperation from001 to 2006; and, third, as

Minister of Home Affairs from 2006o the present. He is the longest-erving Minister of the Governmentext to the Prime Minister. He oughto be one of the most experienced.

Mr. Rohee, after 20 years inovernment, should have compre-

ended the concept of ministerialesponsibility. This means that hemust accept responsibility for the

erformance of his ministry. Thismeans, also, that he has an obliga-

on to the National Assembly, if noto the entire nation, to account ando be held accountable for thections and behaviour of his min-try.

If Mr. Rohee as a Minister of a ser-vice such as the Guyana Police Forcethat is within his ministry, performs

in such an incompetent manner thatthe Administration is likely to bebrought into ridicule or contempt,he should accept responsibility andresign. The doctrine of ministerialresponsibility, therefore, obliges theAdministration to accept responsi-bility for the Minister's performance.The Minister must resign if his per-formance undermines public confi-

dence in his ability to manage publicsecurity. To hang on to office is asign not of getting ready to "rumble"

but merely allowing the security ofthe nation to tumble deeper intolawlessness.

The National Assembly, therefore,on receiving and reviewing evidenceof ministerial incompetence, exer-cised its power to pass a resolutionof "no confidence" in Mr. Rohee'sability to function as Minister ofHome Affairs and called on the

Administration to revoke happointment. The NationAssembly did consider the abundaevidence of mismanagement, malaministration and dereliction of duIt was convinced that such incomptence could have been avoided byprudent Administration and thewere the grounds for questioning tMinister's ability to discharge hministerial responsibility. M

Rohee, to avoid dismissal frooffice, the disdain of the NationAssembly or further damage to pulic security should resign as Ministon his own accord.

The President must now act swily to avoid an impasse in tNational Assembly. Donald Ramothas the right to issue and revoministerial appointments; howevin this instance, the people throutheir elected representatives haspoken. The PPP is a MinorGovernment; the combined oppotion enjoys the support of tMajority of Guyanese, and speaks f51% of the electorate. It is not for

to tell this Administration what to with Clement Rohee, but a democrtically elected majority voted againhim retaining his present portfolHis continued presence in tNational Assembly as Minister Home Affairs continues to be affront to democracy and the willthe people.

A Nation RemembersOn Sunday 11 November 2012,

uyana along with several nations ofhe Commonwealth, celebrated

emembrance Day, also known aseterans Day or Poppy Day. In aolemn and simple ceremony held athe Cenotaph in Georgetown, theountry paid tribute to those whoacrificed their lives in World Wars Ind II and remembered the men and

women who served in the nation'srmed services.Leader of the PNCR and Leader of

he Opposition, Brigadier Davidranger, an army veteran and for-

mer Commander of the Guyanaefence Force, laid a wreath onehalf of the parliamentary majori-

ty. Several dignitaries including thePresident, Prime Minister, Mayor ofthe City of Georgetown, Military and

Para Military leaders, along withMembers of the Diplomatic Corpsalso took part in the ceremonies andlaid floral tributes.

Remembrance Day is a memorialday observed on the 11th Novemberto recall the end of hostilities ofWorld War I. On that date in 1918,hostilities formally ended at the"11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11thmonth" in accordance with anarmistice signed between all parties.World War I ended with the signingof the treaty of Versailles on 28thJune 1919.

Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Brigadier David Granger addressingreporters after the adjournment of the National Assembly onThursday 8th November 2012.

eader of the PNCR, Brigadier David Granger, on behalf of the

arliamentary Majority, paying tribute to veterans of World War Ind II on Remembrance Day.


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PAGE 2 NEW NATION NOVEMBER 2012

LOCAL NEWS

Leader of the People's NationalCongress, Brigadier David Granger on

Wednesday 31st October 2012 distrib-uted ten (10) Bursary Awards to stu-dents who excelled at the 2012National Grade Six Assessment. TheBursary Awards were distributedunder the Burnham EducationScholarship Trust (B.E.S.T.). This ini-tiative marked the end of the PNCR'smonth-long celebration of the Party's55th anniversary.

The B.E.S.T. and its Bursary Awardsscheme are examples of the Party'scommitment to Education. B.E.S.T.'smission is to encourage excellence ineducation and to assist young peopleto serve and develop Guyana.

PNCR Leader, Brigadier DavidGranger told the awardees that

B.E.S.T. is not a 'one shot initiative'

but a relationship. The committee willmonitor awardees' progress through-

out their secondary education. Hesaid the aim of B.E.S.T. is to guide andmonitor the students until they grad-uate from university.

Brigadier Granger reminded the stu-dents that Forbes Burnham was thefirst Minister of Education. The PNCpost-Independence administrationconstructed the University of Guyanaand the Cyril Potter College Educationcampuses at Turkeyen; multi-lateralschools in five regions; hinterland sec-ondary schools and introduced freeeducation from nursery to university.

Brigadier Granger also pointed outthat the present-day PNCR has adopt-ed Forbes Burnham's approach toeducation. The Party's mission is to

once again make Guyana an 'educa-

tion nation.'Recipients of the B.E.S.T. Bursary

Awards 2012 are: Creig Henry(Region 1), Nicholas Headley (Region2), Mario George (Region 3),Ashandai Liverpool (Region 4),Jerielle Thom (Region 5), CamisaChisholm (Region 6), Keifer Allen(Region 7), Michael Kemfume(Region 8), Jeanelle Fredricks(Region 9) and Ashwar Angel (Region10).

B.E.S.T. is administered by aCommittee of Management chaired byPNCR Central Executive Committeemember, Mr. Alan Munroe. Theawards were presented by formerGovernment Minister and member ofthe PNC Central ExecutiveCommittee, Mrs. Yvonne Harewood-

Benn and Brigadier David Granger.

The People's Progressive Party and Police killingsThe People's Progressive

Party/Civic administration hasstood witness to the killing of over300 Guyanese citizens - mostlyyoung males - by members of the

Guyana Police over its 20 years inoffice from 1992 to 2012.

There have been scores of otherextra-judicial killings carried out bypersons said to be members of"death squads" and "phantomgangs". This number of deathsmeans that the Police have beenkilling young men at a rate of about15 per year throughout the PPP/C'sterm in office.

Police killings over the past 20years have been seared into the psy-che of the nation. The high rate ofkillings is unforgettable. Residentsof the Buxton-Friendship communi-ty on the East Coast Demerara

recently erected a towering monu-ment to the memory of persons whowere killed during the 'Troubles' inthe past decade. The Guyana PoliceForce also acknowledged the enor-mity of the atrocity. It chose, howev-er, to erect a monument in Eve Learyto the memory of its own police vic-tims of that period and other times.

The Guyana Human RightsAssociation published a book -Ambivalent about Violence: AReport on Fatal Shootings by thePolice, 1980-2001 - which gave anaccount of police killings up to theoutbreak of the Troubles. This wasfollowed by another book -When theYoung Die - Extra-judicial Killings inGuyana, 1993-2002 -published bythe People's National CongressReform.

The United States Department ofState continues to publish, everyyear, its Country Report on HumanRights Practices, which features asection on the 'Arbitrary or UnlawfulDeprivation of Life.' The Report usu-ally iterates its warning that, inGuyana, "The most significant

reported abuses included potentiallyunlawful killings by police" TheReport provides an annual tally ofpolice killings, among other things.

The Joint Opposition PoliticalParties (JOPP) - at that time com-prising the Alliance for Change;Guyana Action Party; National Front

Alliance; People's National CongressReform and Working People's

Alliance - published the landmarkDossier in Support of anIndependent Legal Interrogation ofGrave Human Rights Abuses inGuyana, in November 2009.

Bharrat Jagdeo himself, for thefirst time in the history 0f this coun-try, was obliged to establish aPresidential Commission of Inquiryto investigate one of his ownMinisters. That inquiry was given

the mandate to determine "whetherand to what extent the Minister ofHome Affairs, Ronald Gajraj, has

been involved in promoting, direct-ing or otherwise engaging in activi-ties which have involved the extra-

judicial killing of persons."These commissions, dossiers,

monuments and reports all indicatea deep public concern with the extra-ordinary number of killings which

occurred largely during BharratJagdeo's 12-year presidency. Theypoint, to the fact, also, that neitherthe Minister of Home Affairs nor thePPP/C Administration has acceptedresponsibility for the deaths of over300 persons in past 20 years.Neither minister nor president hasseen the need to implement a policyto bring the killings to a halt.

Leader of the People's NationalCongress Reform, Brigadier DavidGranger, has urged civil society tospeak out against Police killings. Hehas encouraged citizens, individuallyand collectively, to exert pressure onthe Government to bring Policekillings to a halt. He called on per-sons of goodwill, in light of the par-lous public security situation in thecountry, to demand that the PPP/C

Administration implement mea-sures to protect citizens from Police

violence, to reform the Police Forceitself and to remove the incumbentMinister of Home Affairs.

The PNCR has always rejected theusual excuses uttered by the Policethat they "shot the victims whileattempting to arrest them" or while acrime was being committed. Manycitizens realise - and most non-gov-

ernmental, human rights activistacknowledge - that the PPP/C

Administration has consistentltaken a lax attitude towards thinvestigation of police abuses durin

its 20-year tenure of office.Policemen have not usually bee

punished for extra-judicial killingsInquests by Coroners and DistricMagistrates or independent judiciainquiries have rarely been conveneinto fatal shootings by PoliceDocuments required to prosecutthe Police have occasionally disappeared from the responsible magistrate's office.

The PNCR maintains that members of the PPP/C Administratiostill seem to refuse to recognise th300 police killings in 20 years as serious public problem. The PPP/Calso refuses to conduct investiga

tions into Police killings.The PNCR repeats its call for thPresident of Guyana to dismiss thcurrent Minister of Home Affairs sthat Police reform can begin and thkillings can be brought to an endMinister Clement Rohee has to knowthat his mismanagement of publisecurity over the past six years hacontributed measurably to the extraordinary pattern of Police killingand the present mood of insecuritand tension in the country. Rohehas shown little zeal in pursuing anpunishing the culprits, includinthose who still wear police uniformsMr. Rohee has failed to use his ministerial authority to investigate allegations of unlawful killings in thGuyana Police Force which is directly his responsibility.

Mr. Rohee's tenure of office, likthat of Ronald Gajraj, will bremembered for the perpetuation opolice killings of young men and fothe destruction of public trust in thPolice Force. It is time for ClemenRohee to go.

Burnham Education Scholarship Trust distributes Awards

Members of the Guyana Police Force Tactical Service Unit (TSU) squad

Group photo of all the studentwith the Ms. Yvonne HarewoodBenn and Mr. Alan Munroe of thB.E.S.T. and Leader of the PNCRHon David Arthur Granger.


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NEW NATION NOVEMBER 2012 Page 3

LOCAL NEWS

October was Senior Citizen'smonth and PNCR Central Executivemember, Mr. Joseph Harmon MP,travelled to East Berbice-Corentyne,Region No. 6 to visit and celebratewith a group of senior citizens livingin Angoy's Avenue, Greater NewAmsterdam. The seniors were treat-ed to a catered luncheon and a shortquestion and answer period with theMember of Parliament. Mr. Harmon

along with other PNCR and commu-nity leaders served the seniors pre-sent, and then visited the homes ofthe shut-ins, to deliver meals andgood cheer.

While in the Ancient County, Mr.Harmon and his team visited andinspected several public works pro-

jects. Mr. Joseph Harmon is APNU'sShadow Minister of Public Works.

Celebrating Senior Citizens Month

Granger calls on Ann's Grove- TwoFriends villagers to mobilize

Leader of the PNCR, BrigadierDavid Granger met scores of vil-lagers to listen to the problemsaffecting their communities during a"walk-about" in Ann's Grove, TwoFriends and Dochfour villages on theEast Coast Demerara.

Villagers expressed their concern

about rising unemployment and thedysfunctional public education sys-tem which is producing an unman-ageable number of dropouts.Brigadier Granger was told thatmany villagers were small minerswho worked in the Cuyuni-MazaruniRegion. Several of them complainedabout having been systematically'shaken down' by rogue policemenand harassed by armed retainers ofrich miners. Many have been drivenaway from their claims and are nowunemployed. Three villagers werekilled in a mining accident at Arankaearlier this month.

Villagers also raised a wide rangeof local concerns - including poordrainage, bad roads, lack of ade-quate street lighting and lack ofproper sporting and leisure facilitiesfor young people - in their historiccommunity. Brigadier Granger was

able to see the results of poorGovernment infrastructure works -such as badly constructed roads,inadequate street lights and unfin-ished bridges that impede the flow oftraffic- all of which have had anadverse effect on the daily lives ofresidents.

The PNCR Leader remarked thatthe Central Government andRegional Administration had rolesto play in alleviating the villagers'distress. He appealed to residents,however, to organize themselves tosave the environment by preventingthe dumping of bottles, plastics andStyrofoam into canals and thedumping of garbage along the road-

ways.Brigadier Granger challenged the

youth of Ann's Grove and TwoFriends to mobilise, organise andcollectively develop proper playingfields in the community. The PNCRLeader was accompanied on his vil-lage walk-about by the RegionalChairman of the Demerara-MahaicaRegion, Mr. Clement Corlette;Chairman of the Guyana Youth andStudent Movement, Mr. ChristopherJones; and Regional Councillors.

REGIONAL ROUNDUPScholarship Awardee

The East Berbice-Corentyne Region of the PNCR last month recognizedand rewarded its first annual scholarship awardee. Shaqwane Crawford whgained 510 marks at the National Grade Six Assessment examinations waselected from a list of 14 finalists. The 12 year old who hails from SmythfieldNew Amsterdam and attended the All Saints Primary School is now headedto the Presidents College.

Mr. Jevaughn Stephens, PNCR Central Executive Member and member othe Scholarship selection panel, said that; "this year's scholarship programme was the beginning of something that Region 6 intends to continue, with annual awards, and is also intended to assist and inspire youngboys and girls in the region to pursue academic excellence".

The first Region No. 6 scholar received a scholarship that covers; booksuniforms, a stipend and transportation allowance. Party groups throughouthe region submitted candidates to a selection panel from which the bes

student was chosen.

Car wash venture

The East Berbice-Corentyne; Region No. 6, now owns and operates a cawash. With support from the South Florida PNCR Chapter, equipment wasecured and the area behind the Party Office in New Amsterdam was prepared to accommodate the new business. The car wash is the first in a serieof joint economic ventures between the South Florida PNCR Chapter anRegion No. 6. The business currently employs three persons who wash andetail an average of sixty cars a week.


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AGE 4 NEW NATION NOVEMBER 2012

NEWS

Peoples National Congress Reform, Congress Place, Sophia, Georgetown. Tel: (592) 225-7852-5

Obituaries

The village of Ithaca is locatedn the West Bank of the Berbiceiver and falls within the

Mahaica-Berbice Region,egion No. 5. Recently, theeader of the People's Nationalongress Reform, Brigadieravid Granger visited the vil-

age to meet with residents andsten to their problems andoncerns.Once a successful farming

ommunity, Ithaca today has

ew farmers and no sources ofmployment for the manyoung and not so young resi-

dents that call the village home.A poorly maintained water man-agement system that allows saltwater into the local drainagenetwork during the long drymonths, prevents potentialfarmers from taking advantageof agriculture for employment.Lack of other employmentsources force many young peo-ple to places like NewAmsterdam to seek employ-ment; the others migrate to the

city or stay at home and lime.Brigadier Granger urged theyoung people of the village to

get themselves properly quali-fied and encouraged them tostart looking at opportunitiesfor self employment. The PNCRleader told residents that theyhave to find ways to jump -startthe village economy, andpromised that the PNCR, alongwith APNU regional councilorswould work along with them toexplore all possibilities.

Brigadier Granger was accom-panied on his visit to Ithaca, by

several APNU councilors andAPNU Member of Parliament,Ms. Jennifer Wade.

Elbert JamesBorn 20th October 193Died 27th September 2012:

Served as a Village Chairman, DistrChairman and Regional Vice Chairman in tMahaica-Berbice Region 5 Community. Stalwaand father figure, a pioneer in community devopment in the Mahaicony area. He was aGeneral Treasurer of the Perth Burial Society.

Myrtle FraserBorn 5th May 1930, Di23rd October 2012:

Served both in the nursing and teaching profsions. An exemplary Party worker for sevedecades. She will be particularly remembered fthe leadership skills she demonstrated at PaGroup, Neighbourhood and District levels.

Hyacinth Peters-HolderBorn 21February 1940, Died 29th October 2012:

Founder member of the Party and outstandicommunity worker whose name is synonymowith development in Virginia Village, CaGrove, ECD. An activist in the Party womemovement for more than two generations.

Rudolph Orlando MichaelBorn 28November 1927, Died 20th October 2012

Former member of the PNCR; outstandiactivist in the pre and post-independence eServed as Chairman and General Council reprsentative of East Bank Demerara Region of tParty as it then was. As a postal worker, he rosethe level of Supervisor and also served in the leaership of the Postal and TelecommunicatioWorkers Union. An avid sportsman, he excellin the game of Scrabble and was a recognizleader until the day he died.

Gloria Perry aka Gloria Kaikan - Born 1

June 1951, Died 30th October 2012:A devoted stalwart from Lethem, Region 9, w

spent all her life as an active member of the ParShe was always visible at Party activities; only laJuly she was at the Partys 17th BiennCongress.

Eileen Robinson - Born 30th Ocyob1934, Died 11th September 2012:

Mrs. Eileen Robinson, an alumna of tBishops High School, was a stalwart of tAnglican Diocese, worshipping and serving Parish Secretary at St. Sidwell's Church. She walso a member of Church Women United and tMothers' Union.

Mrs. Robinson was very active in the PoliWives' Association and the Inner Wheel Club

Georgetown Central and was the founder of tGuyana Police Force's 'Juliet Griffith Day-CaCentre', named after her mother. Her father wthe first African-Guyanese gazetted officer in tForce. She was the widow of the late DonaRobinson, CCH, SC, a former Judge Advocatethe Guyana Defence Force.

The PNCR recognises and places on recoMrs. Robinson lifelong service to the AnglicDiocese and to her country. The Party extendssincere sympathy to her children - Dr. RhonArcher, Kirke and Gareth - and her relatives their bereavement.

May their souls rest in peace and riseeternal glory!

Last month several minibusrivers who ply the Georgetown

Mahdia route held a picketingxercise at the Bus Park on

Hadfield Street. The driversomplained that Ministerobeson Benn and theovernment had taken a laxpproach to hinterland develop-

ment. Several commuters alsowere part of the picketing exer-

se and lent their voice to the

growing discontent over thestate of the roads and the lack oforderly development in the inte-rior of the country.

The residents complained thatthey were not benefitting fromthe mineral wealth that wasbeing extracted from the Regionevery day. The Minibus driverssaid that the poor roads werewreaking havoc on their vehiclesand that the poorly constructed

and infrequently maintainedroad was the cause of many acci-dents and costing drivers/own-ers, hundreds of thousands ofdollars in vehicle repairs. Theminers and drivers said thatthey will keep calling on theGovernment to fulfill its obliga-tions to them as taxpayers andcitizens, and will not let up untilconditions improve.

Unemployment rocks Ithaca

Picketing exercise by the Georgetown/Madhia minibus drivers.

We want better hinterlandinfrastructure

PNCR Leader, Brigadier

David Granger with someof the children of Ithaca.

New Nation - November 2012

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