Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Political posturing could undermine national security – President Ramotar
President Donald Ramotar yesterday appealed for an end to political posturing that could undermine the nation’s security.
The Head of State was delivering the feature address at the formal opening of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, during which he said that political figures on both sides of the divide must not allow politics to derail Guyana’s security.
President Donald Ramotar prepares to inspect the Guard of Honour at the Police Officers’ Conference.
“We must not ever feel that we can have any advantage by using any kind of crime or criminal elements in our political activities,” President Ramotar said.
In emphasizing the need for political cohesiveness with regards to security, the president said that criminal elements will capitalize on any political disunity.
“I suppose that stats could be generated to show that whenever you have any kind of political instability, opportunistic types of crimes take place,” he stated, while pointing to events that occurred at Agricola several months ago.
The President is of the view that the mini riots that occurred on the East Bank of Demerara following the shooting of a teenager by the police were fuelled by political disunity.
“If there is one thing that we should unite around, it is that we must unite around creating better security for our people in our society and we must not allow criminals to feel that they could be protected by one side or the other,” the President told an audience that included Opposition Leader Brigadier (rtd) David Granger.
A number of recent events have sparked some political grandstanding that threatened to derail any attempt at a cohesive approach to fighting crime and securing the nation. These include the Linden protests which culminated in a Commission of Inquiry following the shooting to death of three Lindeners during protest action and the no confidence motion against Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee.
The latter could have a negative impact on the laying of legislation in the National Assembly on security matters.
Despite all the negative posturing, however, the president expressed satisfaction that all parties had agreed to the terms of reference of the Commission of Inquiry that was set up to look into the Linden fiasco.
He said that now that the report of the Commission of Inquiry has been presented, he has spoken to the Home Affairs Minister, advising that all of its recommendations should be examined along with the recommendations of other Commissions that were established in the past, with a view of implementing them to ensure that the quality of service by the security forces will be lifted.
“I hope that we will have the cooperation in parliament for important legislation that will be put,” the President stated.
“I can understand personal and emotional feelings about some things, but we work on the basis of evidence, and therefore I hope that vital legislation that are being planned to go to the National Assembly with a view of enhancing the capacity of the police force; that those will be passed and no subjectivism will be used to prevent any of them from going through,” the Guyanese leader added.
He also singled out the recent discussion by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the alleged increase attacks on the local Chinese population, which it is said stemmed from some demonstrations against that section of the society.
The President asserted that since Guyana is a multi-ethnic and multi-racial society where greater integration is taking place, the country could ill afford to create an environment in which criminals could prey on one set of people at will.
“We have to ensure that every single person in our country; people born in Guyana, people visiting Guyana, must be safe in our society…no way should we allow that to compromise things.”
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