Embattled Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has decided to take aim at the Opposition Leader and Former Commissioner of Police Winston Felix over their continued calls for him to leave office and for the Government to put together a comprehensive plan to tackle the growing crime problem that has gripped the country.
Both Granger and Felix have strong security backgrounds. Mr. Granger served as a Commander in the Guyana Defence Force retiring at the rank of Brigadier and Mr. Felix served as the Commissioner of Police for a number of years and was celebrated for dismantling the Roger Khan criminal and drug empire.
The two have been openly critical of the Home Affairs Minister and what they see as his failed leadership of the Ministry that holds responsibility for security matters.
Felix now serves as a Member of Parliament for the Opposition group, A Partnership for National Unity and he has accused the Home Affairs Minister of direct interference in the operations of the Police Force while ignoring many of the real problems facing policing in Guyana and the crime problem.
The Home Affairs Minister on Friday turned his focus to the two Opposition figures and said they have nothing new to offer Guyana when it comes to matters of security. Rohee believes the criticism from the Opposition is all political. In a letter to the Press, Mr. Rohee said “the APNU is waging psychological warfare on the Guyanese people”.
According to the Minister of Home Affairs, “they can’t beat the PPP/C Administration neither on the social, or the economic front, so they are bashing the security sector for political reasons”.
Minister Rohee declared that “it is well established that the Opposition parties have links with criminal elements in our society”. While not providing evidence of the links or explaining why the Guyana Police Force has not gone after the Opposition parties for their criminal links, Rohee said Granger and Felix appear as the “blind leading the blind” when it comes to security matters.
He said they are both barren when it comes to issues of security. According to Rohee, “neither Granger nor Felix has told us anything we don’t know nor have they recommended anything that we are not doing. They have nothing new to tell us. They are barren, they are sailing. All they do is to condemn, criticise, denigrate and personalize the issues.. They have nothing positive or constructive to suggest. They simply rehash and regurgitate what is already taking place in the Security Sector.”
The Guyana Police Force has reportedly an increase in violent crimes in the country. Murders, robberies and other gun crimes are on the increase.
The Opposition parties have blamed the government saying that the administration has turned its back on foreign help to reform the security sector.
The Government on the other hand has been blaming the Opposition for not supporting legislation on firearms. The Opposition parties in 2012 used their majority in the National Assembly and passed a no confidence motion in Clement Rohee as Minister of Home Affairs. Almost a year later, Rohee remains on the job with the full support of the President, Donald Ramotar.
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