Pursuit of AML/CFT compromise cannot be conditional

Jun 03, 2014 News

…still no closer to solution on Procurement Bill – Rohee

By Gary Eleazar
General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, is of the opinion that any meeting with the Alliance for Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in pursuit of compromise on the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill must be premised on un-conditionality.
He was at the time speaking at the Party’s weekly press engagement.

Party Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha (Left) and PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee.

The Party leader made public his views when questioned on a way forward yesterday, following his lamentations on the recent developments at the Caribbean Financial Action Taskforce (CFATF) over Guyana’s non compliance with its representation.
As it relates to the demands of the AFC, Rohee said that with respect to the AML/CFT fiasco due to non passage as a result of the Opposition, “I don’t think we are very near to the finding of a solution with respect to Public Procurement Bill.”
Rohee was adamant that the PPP has consistently argued the point that there has to be no linkage between the AML/CFT Bill and any other Bill in House
“The question of linkage is an invention of the AFC which we reject.”
He said that each Bill in the National Assembly must be debated and solutions sought on its individual merit and demerits; “the question of linking is not acceptable as a negotiating ploy or as a deal breaker in the search for a solution on the AML/CFT Bill”
Pressed on an avenue for compromise, Rohee said, “for a meeting of minds to take place the most important factor is un-conditionality.”
He said that the foremost un-conditionality is that everyone, in the same way that Government as the ruling party has accepted that there are serious implications for the country if the Bill is not only not passed, must come to that realization.
Rohee said that there must be an acceptance by all parties on what the Bill means for the nation, “we must put the nation first before political interest.”
Rohee lamented that consequences of being blacklisted will not affect one group of party supports but rather, the entire nation.
“Even if we were in Opposition we have always put the nation first in any crisis that arise in this country…Every single party coming to the negotiating table must put the nation first,” according to Rohee.
He suggested that should this be done then things will fall into place.
Pressed on the view that the Opposition is speaking for the majority of the populace and as such Government should listen, Rohee responded by saying “I think the Government is listening yes, the question we could equally be asking; is the opposition listening.”
The Party leader suggested that the Government has always listened to the Opposition and used as example the Linden crisis with regards to electricity and said “the Government listened to the Opposition.”
According to Rohee, many concessions given by Government in the past are not necessarily based on political horse trading but rather on the realities in the country.
Asked why the Party does not agitate publicly for General Elections as a solution to the current impasse over the AML/CFT Bill and its consequences, Rohee said that he has observed commentary by the leaders of the Opposition which suggests that elections is not the way forward.
“I think that’s because they not ready for elections, …that’s why they’re saying that, we are…the PPP is ready for any one of the elections, local government, national or regional elections,” according to Rohee.
Prior to fielding questions from media operatives, Rohee read a prepared statement where he castigated the political Opposition saying that both AFC and APNU are fully responsible for forcing economic hardship on Guyanese, following international blacklisting.
“This imposition by the Opposition is not only profoundly embarrassing to our nation; it will bring to bear untold hardships to all Guyanese. Our Party has in the past warned of these impending consequences; unfortunately the Opposition has now made the blacklisting a reality.”
According to Rohee, given the fact that this current situation could have been avoided had the Opposition demonstrated a sense of patriotism and concern for the people of this nation including their own supporters, “the PPP can only conclude that the Opposition’s action is spiteful and woefully uncaring.”
Rohee posited that “It is clear that oppression, ruin and despondency are elements dear to the Opposition; elements which were the hallmark of the dictatorial regime it led prior to the return of freedom and democracy just over two decades ago.”