Are you satisfied with the government’s and police’s response thus far to the rum shop incident involving Minister of Local Government, Kellawan Lall? We asked the man/woman in the street this question and these were their responses.
Desmond Solomon, private sector employee
`The incident should not have occurred with someone who is a minister. This incident shows a bad image in Guyana and outside. I think that he should have been asked to resign right away. An investigation should have been launched immediately. I am not at all satisfied with the government and police’s response to the situation so far. He should have at least been charged over the incident because if it was anyone else that would have happened’.
Trevor Adams, food vendor
`As a senior person in such a position, he should have known what is right. There are people who look up to him and he should have known better. Temptation does occur sometimes but he has to learn to deal with it. What he did doesn’t paint a nice picture when people read about it. He should not be hiding from the Guyanese public. He should come out and make a public apology. If he is in hiding it shows that he is not remorseful for his actions. I think that the police should launch an investigation and probably charge him since he committed an offence. If I did something like that I will be prosecuted’.
Kenneth Chance, song writer/singer
`Our country is on trial for moral values and those values are supposed to be coming from those in leadership and the minister is a part of that. He is supposed to uphold the moral standards of this land. Evidence has shown that his actions were reckless and emotional. He is like anyone else and should not be allowed to break the law. Evidence has also shown that he acted beyond the law and I think that justice should be done. That would be for him to answer to his actions. I think that he should have been asked to step aside until the investigations have been completed. Everyone at some point in their lives is expected to be jealous over their female companion or wife but that does not give us the right to abuse our firearm and act reckless. This incident is being kept on the down low because of his position’.
Orden Robinson, self employed
`This type of thing has become a common occurrence from those in authority. This incident has presented a bad image of our country to the rest of the world. We already have a bad image and this incident adds to it. I think that he should have been asked to resign or he of himself should have taken it upon himself and stepped down from his position. This is what would have happened in a democratic society. The government and the police are living up to their expectation which is doing nothing. I believe that he should have been charged like any other citizen’.
Zoisha Henriques, self-employed
`This is just another one-sided incident. He is getting preferential treatment because he is a minister. He should have made a public apology and compensate the person he had the incident with. Then it would have been left to him to make a conscious decision and step down. The police are not doing anything. An immediate investigation should have been launched soon after the incident had occurred’.
Ivan Persaud, vendor
`I think that he should have been fired because his actions were totally lawless for a minister. It was disgraceful and I think that he should have been asked to resign. The government and the police are not doing enough to deal with this matter. The minister should have been charged over the incident and placed before the court. He is a citizen of this country just like me. His behaviour painted a bad image of Guyana and that is why he should be jailed’.
Bernard Johnson, chef
`He should have been more responsible in his actions because he is a minister. This did not paint a good image of our country. President Jagdeo as head of the Cabinet should have taken the matter seriously and suspended him. He should have also waited to hear what the public had to say about the situation. I think that the government and the police are doing enough to deal with this matter but they are keeping it on a down low because he is a minister of the government. He should be charged in the long run because what he did was wrong’.
Pat Chester, housewife
`It’s a disgrace. He should have been asked to step down immediately. If the bigger ones are doing this what about the smaller ones? He should be charged because he is a human being like every one of us. I think that he should be made an example for what he has done.
Tiffany Zephyr, secondary school student
`What he did was not right. I think that he should be punished for the crime that he has committed. I think the matter should have been investigated fully and if he was found to be wrong then he should be asked to resign. This incident has painted a bad image of Guyana and I have not been hearing anything much about the incident in the news. I think it’s because he is a minister the government and the police aren’t doing much’.
Norissa Stephens, secondary school student
`What he did was not right. As a citizen of Guyana he should be placed before the courts. I think that he should have been asked to resign. This incident doesn’t paint a good picture of Guyana at all. I believe he has not been charged because he is a minister and is close to the president. I would like to see him placed before the courts because the boy involved is a young person’.
