The majority opposition voted against the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2013 in the National Assembly yesterday after the Opposition held fast to their resolve not to allow the passage of any piece of legislation piloted by Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, who they had passed a motion of no-confidence in last year.
The Bill was meant to reduce the flow of illegal firearms into the country and close loopholes in the law which allow trafficking in firearms to escape prosecution.
While the opposition members remained in their seats, they chose not to participate in the debate and none of them said anything on the Bill piloted by Rohee. At the previous sitting, Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman had ruled that Rohee would be able to speak despite the motion of no-confidence.
Yesterday, there was another attempt by APNU MP Basil Williams to have Rohee prevented from speaking but this was rejected by the Speaker.
In commencing the short debate on the Bill, Rohee said, “Only recently at the Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Haiti, Heads of Government met with the distinguished Attorney General of the United States…and the issue of trafficking in firearms in the region came up.”
“One cannot deny that because of the extensive nature of our borders it is quite possible that indeed due to the porous nature of the borders that firearms can penetrate,” he said. He said that it is important for countries in the region to cooperate since they face the same problems of illegal guns.
“One of the ways to do so is that in our respective countries to legislate to make it illegal, having regards to the fact that a perusal of the Firearms Act shows that there is a lacuna where trafficking in firearms in is not in the law…also the question of imported components which could be assembled and end up being a firearm is also not on our statute books,” said Rohee. “If we have these gaps Mr. Speaker it is important that we pass laws to address these loopholes. I would be the last to argue that this is a silver bullet…to solve this problem…but I would go so far to say that it would add value, bring additionality to what we already have,” he said.
He added that if the law passed, trafficking in firearms as well as ammunition and the assembly of imported components of a firearm will be curbed.
“The significance of this Bill before the House calls on the House to recognise that we Guyanese in making our contribution to the global fight against trafficking in firearms, make our contribution to the negotiations taking place…we could make that contribution by example,” he said, adding that passing laws will show that Guyana is ready to make such a contribution.
“It will show to the world that no matter how small our country is it could join the larger countries…it is not the size of the country that matters…what matters is the commitment to stamping out this malady and in so doing making our contribution to show in concrete terms that we are committed as a state and dedicated as a people to addressing this question of trafficking in firearms,” he said.
Following the end of the debate, Leader of the Opposition David Granger defended the actions of the Opposition in not approving the Bill. “There is a greater danger in Rohee remaining as the Minister responsible for public security and we are seeing it every day,” he said. “We are seeing the problem of traffic fatalities; we are seeing the problems in the mining areas and that is the greater danger.
We are committed to having Mr. Rohee removed from his position as Minister of Home Affairs because he is the greater danger, and we took this action to demonstrate to the Executive that we are determined that he is not going to remain there. Mr. Rohee himself is weakening the law enforcement and public security…that is the point we are trying to make,” he said. “Mr. Rohee must leave the Ministry of Home Affairs. We will not approve any Bill brought by Clement Rohee as long as he is Minister of Home Affairs,” he said.
Prime Minister Sam Hinds and Government Adviser Gail Teixeira also had their say on the actions of the Opposition. Hinds said that those actions call into question the Opposition’s position of being on the side of law and order. “If being upset about the ruling of the Speaker could lead them to reject such a Bill one must question how serious and how earnest they are in their claims about being against crime,” Hinds said.
Teixeira said that the position by APNU and the AFC was reprehensible and vulgar. The press should let the public know the contents of the Bill and that it has been defeated in second reading. “We now have to go back and research whether the Bill can come back again in the life of this parliament,” she said. “This is not a one-off [issue]…this is little boys playing with big issues in a playground and they are missing the mark all the time. We are very shocked and perturbed that we are again seeing in this Parliament anti-national positions that have nothing to do with the betterment of this country,” she said. “Security of our people and safety of our people should galvanise all of us,” she said.
Approached for a comment after the vote on the Bill, Rohee said that the Opposition’s position was not unexpected. “They have said time and time again that they will vote against any Bill that I bring to the National Assembly and they have remained true to their word. So I was not labouring under any illusion that they would not have, and if they think that it is a defeat for me, it is a victory for the Government…because they will now have to explain why they voted against something aimed at stemming the flow of firearms in Guyana,” he said.
“The world is moving in this direction and here we have an Opposition that seems to be in favour of firearms entering this country and I as the Minister of Home Affairs am very concerned about an Opposition that supports firearms coming through the borders of our country which is sending the wrong signals to the criminals in Guyana,” he said. “How will this be seen by law abiding citizens of Guyana,” he said. “This is not a blow to the Government…I see this as a victory to the Government…we are in a political struggle,” he said.
“The Opposition have dug in their heels…they have failed to get me [prohibited from speaking]. They failed in the court and having on those counts they are now trying to save face,” he said.
“I have two other Bills coming…and we will continue to bring Bills to this House which [favour] law enforcement. I would not be cowed by the Opposition and stand aside and for people to believe that they have gotten one over [me],” he said.
“I am the Minister of Home Affairs…I have the responsibility to bring Bills to this House so as long as I hold that portfolio there is no one else that could bring a Bill that falls under my portfolio but me,” he said.
