Government today vowed that it “will not be moved” into giving in to the opposition’s demands for the removal of Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, saying that it is prepared to “rumble” to ensure he remains in office.
Describing the President Donald Ramotar-chaired cabinet as “perhaps one of the more resolute cabinets,” on the matter of Rohee’s retention, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon said “I look forward to the fight” and added that he was ready to “rumble.”
“I don’t believe, in essence, that the opposition does not have a leg to stand on but I quite concede that their rhetoric, over time, has indeed forced them into for all intents and purposes, for them an irretrievable position, as Mohammed Ali said let’s get ready for the rumble“, Luncheon told his weekly press conference.
Government has already mounted a High Court challenge to a no-confidence motion passed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), essentially calling on President Ramotar to remove Rohee from office because of his “mismanagement” of the national security sector. The legal challenge was made at a time when the opposition publicly stated that it would be exploring other options to ensure he demits office.
Calls for the Home Affairs Minister‘s sacking came after three persons were shot dead by police during a protest in Linden on July 18th. They were at the time protesting against electricity tariff increases.
With the recent killing of two youths in separate incidents by police ranks in less than a month, the opposition reiterated its calls for Rohee to be sacked.
They said that if Rohee’s resignation did not come voluntarily, President Ramotar should have him removed from office.
Yesterday the AFC also upped the ante threatening that if by midnight last night Rohee was not moved there would be no cooperation with that minister.
Luncheon also opined that Rohee was one of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s best ministers, after former President Bharrat Jagdeo and he was being pressured to leave office by the opposition to gain political mileage. “One of our best Ministers …yes I am talking about Rohee…I have been here 19 years and my word is not given like that …I cannot recall, recognizing or giving such accolades to any other of my colleagues in the last 19 years, perhaps other than Bharrat (Jagdeo), none”.
Questioned as to what basis was used to give such accolades, Luncheon said that as the authoritative voice it is what it is. “Put it this way, as my mother used to say, `if de big man seh suh is suh’”, he said.
Luncheon summed up the ruling party’s stance by singing “We shall not be moved.”
The Home Affairs Ministry, in the wake of the police killing of 17-year old Shaquille Grant on September 11 and 21 year old Dameon Belgrave on October 5, announced yesterday that a review of police procedures, processes and training has begun.
