Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr Roger Luncheon on Friday, November 9 at his first media briefing under the new administration said the use of force by law enforcement officials is justified in cases of illegal or unlawful activities.
He was at the time responding to questions raised by the media on the recent incident whereby police fired rubber pellets at A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) supporters on Tuesday as they marched through city streets.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon
“My understanding about the use of force is that it depends on assessments done and the particulars of the situation. It would be extremely difficult to predict, but I know that in the context of what has happened before, that there are very good reasons when the situations call for that – there are very good reasons for the resort to the use of force. So it is – it is part of the repertoire of responses that law enforcement agencies have in dealing with unlawful and illegal activities,” Dr Luncheon stated.
The HPS said he will not comment on the issue, noting that Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee dealt with the matter comprehensively.
“I don’t think that there is need to actually go outside of the response that has been provided. I think comprehensively, the minister of home affairs dealt with the sector position in his most recent press statement, among which he was able to recognise that the protesters were indeed protesting illegally, unlawfully, and that the responses of the law enforcement entities, the law enforcement grouping on the ground was rooted in earlier commitments made about public order on ensuring the reign of public safety,” he said.
Luncheon told the media at the post-Cabinet press briefing that President Ramotar has been observing the post-electoral occurrences that have since evolved into street protests.
He noted that the head of state has committed to working with the main political stakeholders with the aim of ensuring that all citizens are satisfied and are the beneficiaries of the future political deliberations.
“… He has obviously been working on a strategy,” the HPS stated.
Luncheon, however, stated that maintaining public order and safety is priority in dealing with issues of such as street protests. “I don’t believe that the president or his ministers have found any fault with an approach of an analysis of what took place from the perspectives of an illegal and unlawful protest activity.”
