“My conscience is clear” – Rohee

– PM says no reason for Home Affairs Minister to resign

The combined opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) early Tuesday morning used its one seat majority to have a no-confidence motion against Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee adopted by the National Assembly, casting aside amendments put forward by the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C).

But even as the no-confidence motion was passed by the House, Rohee defended his post, stating that he has much to say, but will make his statements before the independent commission of inquiry.
“I have listened to what has been said from the opposition benches, but I do not wish to engage in respect of policy, accountability, responsibility in the debate at this time. I will leave all I have to say on these matters for the independent commission of inquiry.”
He continued: “Mr Speaker, the issue before us is a complex one, there can be no one side to this matter, in fact there are many sides to what occurred on 18th July at Linden. The many views expressed in the course of the debate are but a microcosm of the views existing in the wider society.”
The home affairs minister said a “no-confidence motion cannot and will not arrive at the truth as regards the circumstances surrounding the death of those Lindeners. To place the blame of the shooting at the feet of the staff of the Home Affairs Ministry flies in the face of the lofty principle of presumption of innocence which is a fundamental right enshrined in our Constitution.”
Rohee noted too that “to apportion guilt mainly by political reasoning and argumentation is in my humble opinion is a reckless and futile exercise. Mr Speaker, I await the establishment of the independent commission of inquiry, I do so with a conscience that is clear and the vindication of all the charges made out against me in this motion.”
Meanwhile, mover of the motion, Opposition Leader David Granger said that the constant bickering that formed the chorus of the debates in the National Assembly was not necessary.
He argued that the motion before the House was clear, stressing that the motion did not seek to address the electricity hike in the mining town of Linden, but sought to address the inability of the home affairs minister to effectively manage the security forces. “This motion is not about electricity rates, it is about the competence of the minister of home affairs.”
Accordingly, Granger argued that the death of the Linden trio should not be the occasion for “frivolous anecdotes” or “filibuster”. He assured his fellow parliamentarians that the opposition is in support of the establishment of the commission of inquiry, but that should not be a replacement of the need for the home affairs minister to demit office.
“We must ensure Mr Speaker, that we don’t only put faith in commission of inquiry, but we also put faith in the action which we can take on the floor of this House… The killings of July 18 were not acts of God; they were deliberate acts of people, who aimed shots at human beings,” Granger said.
Saying that the government’s arguments that the motion is a premature one, the opposition leader said the motion is pre-emptive, and is aimed at preventing further “police lawlessness”.
“There is no other institution in this country that can authoritatively call for and demand the revocation of the appointment of the minister of home affairs.”
In concluding his arguments, Granger said Rohee has been unable to solve during the “most serious crises in public security” here, noting that the killing of July 18 “was the limit”.
“We are the majority and we have no-confidence in the ability of Minister Clement James Rohee to protect the public security of this country,” Granger stated.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds through the tabling of an amendment sought to convince parliamentarians on the opposite side of the House to have the original motion tabled by Granger changed in some aspects.
Hinds said that following the death of the Linden trio, his administration through President Donald Ramotar engaged stakeholders on the way forward, and in this regard, he said “We believe that progress is being made.”
He said too that there is no reason for Rohee to resign from his post as home affairs minister. He noted that the people of Linden are being misled by leaders from the opposition.
He noted that claims of 70 per cent unemployment are false, though he admitted that unemployment in Region 10 is amongst the highest across the country.
But as Hinds finished his almost an hour-long presentation before the House, members of the opposition chanted “murder, its murder, its cold blooded murder”, causing Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman to sound his gravel demanding order prevails.
AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan in his brief presentation said the minister is not being blamed for shooting the three Lindeners, but is accountable for what transpired under his watch.
“When things go wrong under your watch, you have an obligation to do the honourable thing… we are not saying the minister is criminally liable, we are saying he is responsible.”
Government’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira said it is interesting to see calls being made for Rohee to step down following the killings of the three Lindeners, while no calls were made for her to resign from her post as home affairs minister in 2006 when five Kaieteur News pressmen were slain.
She argued that the accused is “innocent until proven guilty”. The sitting which concluded at approximately 02: 00h on Tuesday saw some 20 speakers expressing their condolences to the grieving families, while pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments put before the House. Government has argued that the motion put by the opposition has not teeth.