Local human rights groups and supporters yesterday staged another picketing exercise in front of the Ministry of the Presidency to press for the reassignment of Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence.
Minister Lawrence has faced calls for her removal from Red Thread and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) over her downplaying of molestation accusations against then APNU+AFC candidate Winston Harding for the Georgetown City Council as a “family matter.”
Braving the rain yesterday, members and supporters of Red Thread, the Amerindian People’s Association (APA), the Guyana Organisation for Indigenous People (GOIP) and Help and Shelter once again demanded that Lawrence be reassigned to another post.
“We want her to be reassigned to something that is more suitable to her… protection of the children has to be done with your outlook [and] willingness to bend over backwards for endangered children.” Red Thread coordinator Karen de Souza said.
President David Granger recently said there are no plans to dismiss Lawrence over her comments. He also said that he had received an explanatory report from Lawrence on the issue of the candidature of Winston Harding on the APNU+AFC slate and has forwarded that report to the Central Executive Committee of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). He noted that any disciplinary action taken against Lawrence will have to come from the party and that there is no “question of her arbitrary dismissal from her ministerial position.”
Commenting on the lack of action from the government so far on the demands for Lawrence’s reassignment, de Souza said it appears as if the party is being favoured over child protection. “The behaviour in this particular case has demonstrated nothing has changed. Children seem to take second place for protection after friends and party,” de Souza emphasised, while adding that it is unacceptable.
When asked why they were continuing with the demonstration, de Souza said that although they are not getting any answers they are receiving the attention. She explained that the more the country is engaged in discussions the more they are going to make progress for the protection of children as the laws need to be implemented.
Meanwhile, Help and Shelter monitoring and evaluation officer Danuta Radzik highlighted that the dragging out of the matter is unfortunate and signals a reversal of the gains that were made in fighting for protection of the children who are victims of sexual abuse.
“Many of us here have battled long and hard to get child sexual abuse removed from being in the home and dealt with in the home. We don’t intend to go back to those days. It is a crime and must be treated seriously…there is the Sexual Offences Act, which the government says it supports, and it must be put into effect,” Radzik lamented.
Harding won a seat on the city council although the APNU+AFC coalition withdrew its support for him after a report in Stabroek News on the accusations against him. He has never been convicted.
APA member Michael McGarrel who supported yesterday’s protest, said that as a parent he is concerned over the protection of his children.
He expressed concern that the minister who is tasked with creating policy to ensure children live in a safe environment is saying that a report on child molestation is a “family matter.”
McGarrel said that he took part in the demonstration because he would like to see that the minister is disciplined for her statements.
He further called on Harding to do the honourable thing and resign from his post as city councillor. McGarrel said that Harding did not win his constituency because he is known in his community but because of his face being next to the coalition’s name on the ballot paper.
