The proposed $17.5B in budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Home Affairs escaped the scissors of the opposition last evening, after the AFC withdrew its motion to slash over $500M at the last minute.
About 20 minutes into the consideration of the budgetary allocations for that ministry AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan told the Committee of Supply that he had a motion in which he had proposed a cut and he was no longer going ahead with it.
“We had from the beginning said that we would not be vindictive and vengeful and will be rational in our cuts; that once sufficient answers were given we would not go ahead,” he later told Stabroek News, while adding that the withdrawal came because “the explanations given and the commitment by the minister to give our new members copies of the Citizens Security Programme were sufficient.”
Main opposition APNU, which has been withholding support for the Home Ministry as part of a campaign to force the removal of Minister Clement Rohee, did not submit a motion for amendments to cut allocations under the ministry, but its MPs voted down the proposed allocations when the vote was called. However, their numbers were not enough to disapprove the allocations without the support of the AFC.
Leader of the Opposition and APNU David Granger that the vote “in a way” is not going to change anything as the APNU will maintain its position and to make sure that Rohee is eventually removed from the post.
The AFC MPs raised questions pertaining to the Citizens Security Programme, issues surrounding land transport, rehabilitation to buildings and the procurement of equipment, all regarding the Guyana Police Force.
Responding to a question from the Committee Chairman Raphael Trotman about holding facilities for women, particularly the East La Penitence lockups, Rohee said that he fully agreed that the standards must be lifted. “We have noted all the criticisms that have been made about the East La Penitence Police Station lockups for women. It is my intention to have that matter addressed,” he said.
Also, among the listed buildings to be rehabilitated this year are the living quarters for ranks at the Blairmont Police Station and the Officer-in-Charge at Springlands and the Brickdam lockups.
For the first time since the consideration of the estimates began this year, members of government also asked questions of the minister, including about police programmes and budget allocations. The budget for other agencies that falls under the Ministry were passed without questions being asked.
Later, Rohee, in explaining the increase of $208M to $219M under the line item direct labour force and how the money will be spent, said that had to do with salary related allowances for all new recruits to the force.
Rohee told the House that a total of 1,783 ranks will be trained this year; 300 will be trained internally, another 546 ranks will be part of internal seminars and 115 ranks will be sent for overseas training.
‘Principled’
Meanwhile, Granger told reporters after the session ended that while the voting did not go in APNU’s favour, it will continue to maintain that Rohee should step down as the Minister of Home Affairs.
He said that APNU had supported a motion that was initially brought by the AFC “but they did not support their own motion. We feel vindicated even though the vote was not in our favour. It was not a majority that we have taken a principled position and that we will continue to maintain that position….”
According to Granger, giving the Ministry monies every year would not help it out of the terrible situation it is in and for which Rohee is responsible. “A Partnership for National Unity has taken a principled position since last July and over the last nine months or so we have not really shifted from our position. We are convinced that the minister is not a competent person to administer public security matters in this country and we have maintained that position right up to the present time,” he said.
He noted that the changes which were introduced under the Citizens Security Programme and the Capita Symonds plan will not bring about a significant change in the public security situation in the country. He said that the stories in the daily newspapers are clear indications that there have been no changes in police security.
“We are convinced that as long as Rohee remains as Minister there will be no change,” he stressed.
Granger also said that APNU’s actions would not cause any deterioration or diminution to public security in the country. He said the current murder rate is the same as ten years ago, when the country was experiencing the troubles on the East Coast. “So we are quite justified in the position that we took tonight,” he stressed.
Asked if things would be worse if the various agencies that fall under the ministry were left without money, he said “it will be worse if Rohee remains. Things will not get better as long as Rohee remains Minister of Home Affairs. I am convinced about that.”
