The opposition PPP yesterday criticised the coalition government for its apparent failure to effectively deal with crime, while stating that despite a number of “security experts” at the disposal of the administration Guyanese continue to suffer from criminal activities.
In a statement which was read out at its weekly press conference yesterday, the party also took issue with Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan’s reported statement that he was not prepared to meet with members of the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce until after the Jubilee celebrations.
The two business groups issued a statement last week in which they decried the crime situation and expressed their disappointment at Ramjattan’s response to their request for a meeting.
According to the PPP, in its manifesto the APNU+AFC government promised to address the breakdown of law and order but instead the “Granger administration’s public security plan is a total disaster.”
The last few weeks have seen several murders and armed attacks on an almost daily basis, prompting concerns.
The opposition yesterday questioned the status of the five-point anti-crime strategy which the government announced was being crafted and was to be made through the National Assembly but was later sold as “Operation Dragnet.” However, the PPP/C said this operation was doomed to fail “due to government’s interference in law enforcement operations.”
It also listed the Camp Street Prison riots, which resulted in 17 inmates dying in a fire, and the ongoing inquiry into allegations that the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) was in bed with drug traffickers as other failures of the administration.
“Neither the government nor the Guyana Police Force will admit that the crime situation is out of control nor that they are losing the war on crime. The same applies to the Minister of Public Security whose portfolio responsibilities are now shared with the Ministry of Presidency and is virtually in tatters despite his efforts to shore up its sagging image,” the PPP added.
