PPP/C is committed to ensuring safety

- AFC’s attack aims to discredit government’s efforts to tackle crime

 

Georgetown, GINA, August 14, 2006

Recent comments made by the Alliance for Change, criticising government’s intention to hire the services of Former Police Commissioner of New York, Mr. Bernard Kerik, is a deliberate attempt to discredit the administration’s efforts to tackle the crime situation.

Elections campaign Spokesperson of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Robert Persaud, today said that, “the objective of the (AFC) is to distract from yet another good effort of the government to deal with the crime situation. We see this as very political and it’s part of what we see coming from the Opposition. It’s historical; it didn’t start five or six years ago. Every anti-crime initiative that the Government advances, we either have no support, reluctant support, or it is criticised.”

He said government will continue, as the President indicated, “to encourage our security forces to ensure they bring the desired results and ensure we have a safe living and working environment.”

Persaud commended the work of the security forces following the Rose Hall robbery. “This attack we are seeing, now also has linkages to what took place at the Kaieteur News Printery, and also seems to have linkages to the execution of Minister Sawh and others, based on the details that are emerging,” he indicated.

Persaud said the AFC’s Presidential Candidate, while a member of the Peoples’ National Congress Reform (PNC/R), strenuously campaigned and even voted against measures such as the tougher crime legislation, which aimed to enforce harsher penalties for the possession of illegal firearms. “He was part of the PNCR and voted against those measures,” Persaud reiterated.

Raphael Trotman, the PPP/C campaign Spokesperson said, was a part of the public campaign which sought the disbandment of the Special Target Squad of the Guyana Police Force.

“He was also going after the police whenever they responded to the crime situation, especially when they conducted raids and cordon and search exercises in Buxton, East Coast Demerara,” Persaud said.

The AFC party, Persaud noted, was born out of the PNCR, and therefore has no credibility to comment on Government’s efforts to tackle crime.

The President at his press briefing last week, acknowledged that Mr. Kerik had admitted to ethic violations when he held certain positions. Nevertheless, Persaud said, “I am sure that everyone here is aware of the tremendous experience of Mr. Kerik; his thirty-year career in public service, his participation in New York’s crime reduction, and President Bush’s support for him.”

“The AFC and others who are quick to criticise anti-crime measures being employed by government, should be lending their support to the administration and the security forces, as we deal with the criminal gangs in our society in a very firm and appropriate way, to ensure the safety and security of all Guyanese,” he added.

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