The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) does not believe that Social Protection Minister did anything wrong in her handling of the candidature of accused child molester Winston Harding, according to executive and Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally, who says the party fully supports her.
Ally said this was the outcome of an executive meeting held by the party where the matter of Minister Lawrence referring to the allegations against Harding as a “family matter” was addressed.
Lawrence, in light of her oversight of the Social Protection Ministry, has been heavily criticised over her downplaying of molestation accusations against Harding, who won a seat on the city council as part of the APNU+AFC slate. Stabroek News reported on Wednesday that the executive body of the PNCR was to have met and discussed matter.
Yesterday, Ally said the matter was discussed and it was the executive decision of the party to fully support Lawrence. “We do not believe Minister Lawrence did anything wrong and you know she has the full support of the PNCR,” Ally said, while adding that the party’s decision to support Lawrence was made since Harding was never convicted of any of the charges.
Harding had faced a number of accusations and charges.
After Stabroek News had reported on the matter just before the polls, the APNU+AFC coalition issued a statement in which it withdrew support for Harding.
“In light of the alleged behaviour of Mr Winston Harding and the pattern of accusations over the years, his candidature cannot be supported at this time,” APNU, the major partner in the governing coalition, said in the statement.
It was, however, too late to withdraw Harding from the contest and he went on to win his seat in a landslide victory.
Local non-governmental organisations, particularly Red Thread and Help and Shelter, protested and called for Lawrence to be removed from her post. At the last protest, held on Tuesday, they had called for Lawrence to be reassigned to a different 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.
However, 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 Harding on the APNU+AFC slate, which he forwarded to the Central Executive Committee of the PNCR. He said 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 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.
