The government used its majority in the National Assembly last night to approve the passage of a motion that commends the joint services for bringing an end to the reign of Rondel ‘Fineman’ Rawlins and his gang, and which pushes for initiatives that supports the security forces.
The House was clearly divided on the motion, which was moved by Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee.
Twenty members abstained and 22 voted in favour. In recognizing the efforts of the joint services, the motion communicates praises for the demolition of Rawlins’ gang and clears way for the administration to offer suitable tokens of appreciation.
Opposition members, while commending the work of the joint services, rejected the motion on the premise that it is celebratory in the face of a continued murderous onslaught in the country, and that it creates an impression that people are secure following the deaths of Rawlins and Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles on August 28 during a joint services operation. They argued that accountability and transparency are what the joint services needs as opposed to a motion that seeks to offer them payments among other things.
Opposition Leader Robert Corbin referred to the motion as “political gamesmanship” saying that the government has no genuine concern for the security situation in the country. He said it was an insult to the house for the government to move such a motion when no commission of inquiry was conducted to determine the role of all involved in the killings that had plagued the nation within recent years, particularly the massacres at Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek. He added that government can demonstrate that it is behind the joint services by raising salaries and improving working conditions while instituting measures for greater accountability.
Rohee hailed it as a “red letter” motion saying it comes at time when the nation is rid of the murderous Rawlins and his gang which had perpetrated a string of atrocities in the land with a tally of some fifty deaths hanging over their heads.
He cited the Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek massacres as dark moments in the country’s history that Rawlins and his gang were linked to. He also said that the gang went to the extreme of beheading an Agricola resident a few years ago.
AFC MP Raphael Trotman, in opposing the motion, argued that the act of engaging in payments to the joint services, given the circumstances, can result in officers turning into bounty hunters who set out to hunt and kill people like animals.
But government said that the country faced testing times for years while Rawlins and his gang were operating and that a sense of relief was felt throughout the land after their deaths, adding that it is important to congratulate the joint services for a job well done but not yet complete.
Donald Ramotar said a situation had erupted in the country like never before seen during the reign of the gang, adding that the Joint Services had to confront criminals of a certain kind; criminals who he said held the village of Buxton hostage as they executed various heinous crimes. He said the gunmen even targeted police officers stating that more officers died during that period than ever before in recent memory.
The motion also allows for the national assembly to pay particular attention to conducting activities and programmes that are designed to foster greater public confidence, and support for the men women in the joint services.
i agree with the opposition, no celebration should’nt be given to the joint forces, what should’ve have been given is a raise of pay and better working conditions. Although they are celebrating crime is still rampant in guyana and i think it was foolish for the joint forces to be celebrating, every day i read the news some one is getting killed in guyana, and another gang is on the rise, mr. rohee head is in the wrong place and they will pay for their foolishness.
Ramotar admits that the country has never seen the kind of crimes that we saw in recent times,yet some supporters say it can’t be compared to what it was like during the pnc reign..ha…I think that it is time people recognise that this administration is lost when it comes to fighting crime,they will never be able to deal with the crime situation,because now they seek to bribe the police to do a job that they are already paid to do,why reward them for killing fineman and skinny,they should perform their duty without that,but this government has no idea.Jagdeo I think you should fire all the ministers you have,and find competent people to do the job,forget old party stalwarts,a whole country is depending on you,Guyana is in shambles,you got rid of fineman,big deal…what about all the other bandits? Are you going to find more money to pay the police to catch them too? You will have to learn how to fight crime…bribing is going in the opposite direction…BACKWARDS!
I agree with you . However, Jagdeo should also fire himself as he is daily proving himself useless.
What is there to celebrate?” Red-letter” motion?. Gimme a break Minister Clement Rohee, you obviously have not been living in Guyana these past 12 months or so. Clueless! clueless! Clueless!!!!!!!!!
Well well this is sad state of affairs when we have to pay our GPF/GDF
A bounty yes they were the bounty hunters in a lawless society which Guyana has become and we are now being asked by the Government to reward them for doing there jobs Serve and protect Mr. Rohee shame on you and your government
I believe you should consider changing the names of the GPF / GDF to Guyana Bounty Hunters Force (GBHF)
Definately a mood for Celebration and Jubilation for the Joint Services, and most of the Guyanese people.
Those cohorts would never accept the extermination of their Idols as something to be lauded.
Who feeeeeeeeeeels it knows it LORD!!!!!
only you can gloat at this rubbish.
Utter balderdash!!!! So the foolice are now going to receive rewards for executing ANYONE with a ‘wanted’ label, why not increase their salaries as suggested or invest the resources in better training programmes for all those buffons in uniform!?!?! Maybe we could actually make a police force out of them. Did anyone ever look at the nature of the crimes it is alleged Rawlins’ gang perpetrated? Has anyone analysed why this gang had so much support? Has anyone seen any relation between the surge of the phantom squad & the wanton execution of males, especially those of African heritage in Guyana.
I suggest you thoroughly investigate it or another more ruthless gang may be in the making, if it doesn’t already exist. Until the CAUSES are found & eliminated your extrajudicial killings of these “wanted men” will only be plasters on the sore they will not stop the sore from appearing somewhereelse.
A celebration not a gloating is in order for a job well done!
yes i agree with amenra,guy123,malaika all of you guys are correct, they have not
investigated all these killings to ascertain if it was rondell rawlins gang that did it
this visionless govt, is just paying their way for the security votes, i hope it backfires.
torbo ,we have not seen you lately,you were missing man!Good to see you back!
the government has the right to celebrate the death of a murderous annimal. who is this AFC leader, well he is a distant PNC associate, who cannot find power in the party so he assume he will get it if he form his own party, but he is LAME AS A LAMB.
and dont forget to mention the other distant ppp member who is the second in
command in the afc …
Lambada, i am sure that i am more than half you age. Why is it that the older folks like you seems to love living in the past and is never looking at the future? Why do you constantly try to screw off the PNC? The past is gone lets talk about whats wrong NOW!! Lets discuss what the PPP/C is doing now since we are all here now.You make me feel ashamed of being a Guyanese and more so a Human. If this year was 2045 i wouldn’t look back at what the PPP/C did in 2003, i wouldn’t compare the past but i will look at the FUTURE. So please wise up and act as a big man/woman or whatever you are.Peace.
Great guys. They are high-fiving each other and they have forgotten that guns are still missings and they do not have a single clue as to who stole the weapons and who are the other gunmen. When skinny carried out his execution of the workers, he and his cohorts were armed to the teeth, yet no weapons were recovered when he was captured. They police have failed to capture anyone alive to gather information and this could be viewed with some degree of suspicion. There could be a cover up of some sort.