Bahamian Opposition Leader pays courtesy call on President Jagdeo
-impressed with President’s enthusiasm about Guyana’s economic future
Georgetown, GINA, February 15, 2008
Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister of the Bahamas Honourable Perry Galdstone Christie today paid a courtesy call on President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Office of the President.
The Opposition Leader after holding talks with the President said he was impressed with His Excellency’s eagerness to build more on Guyana’s economic position, despite the challenges faced by the Region.
“We spoke about the challenges here in this country … Given the challenges Guyana has been able to produce well-trained persons around the world,” Mr. Christie said.
They also spoke about the President’s upcoming attendance at the CARICOM Meetings that will be held next month in the Bahamas which will provide another opportunity to have further discussions.
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Army to receive $1B to up air patrols –President Jagdeo
-gov’t ready to receive suggestions from political parties on security
Georgetown, GINA, February 15, 2008
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will receive $1B this year to purchase helicopters to improve its air patrols which will aid in the fight against transnational crime and serve as a deterrent to the establishment of illegal airstrips.
President Bharrat Jagdeo who made the announcement today said the funds will be facilitated through the 2008 National Budget which will be presented on February 18 in the National Assembly.
The Head of State said while government is committed to fighting crime and pouring the necessary resources into the security forces, Guyanese must understand that sacrifices will have to be made to assist in this regard.
“This year we just put in the budget close to $1B to buy a few helicopters with spotlight and a whole range of equipment, but the money is limited too. … I can understand sometimes the frustration but, people have to make sacrifices if they want security they cannot say to me they want 50 roads and then spend money on helicopters too,” the Head of State asserted.
Government had explained that the National Budget will reflect provisions for other areas which the United Kingdom/Government of Guyana security action plan and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Citizens’ Security programmes would not cover.
This will be facilitated through the Guyana Police Force’s capital projects budget and some of the provisions are expected to take care of the marine wing of the force to tackle piracy. More high powered weapons will also be purchased.
The security and defence sector received a record high budgetary allocation of $9.3B in last year’s budget.
Meanwhile, the President in response to calls by opposition political parties for government to present a comprehensive security plan has made it clear that his government is open to suggestions for the current plan.
“We are open to any new suggestions that are not part of the security plan. We are not getting the suggestions, what we are getting from the opposition is a new security plan. There is one that they have seen and it has several points, so we are prepared to add new things.”
He said, “It’s not the new plan on paper we need. We need the physical people, more people in the security forces. We need better intelligence but intelligence just doesn’t drop from the sky.”
Government’s anti-crime strategy is fitted into its comprehensive security plan that will serve to enhance the work of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) through government’s financial support, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded Citizens’ Security Programme and the Government of Guyana/United Kingdom Security Reform Action Plan (SSRAP)
Several aspects of the SSRAP will be implemented be month-end. Among these are the establishment of a new and expanded criminal intelligence unit that will be fully furnished and equipped with a communication system and commencement of training of local police officers. A British expert is expected in the country by month - end to begin the training aspect.
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Government will not have any talks with criminals-President
Georgetown, GINA, February 15, 2008
President Bharrat Jagdeo today said that his Government will not be having any dialogue with the criminals who perpetuated the brutal slaying of eleven persons, including five children at Lusignan on January 26 in response to suggestions by some sections that maybe this should be done.
The Head of State was at the time responding to questions during a special interview at the Office of the President with officials of the National Communications Network (NCN).
“Let me make it clear. I don’t know what the people who are urging us to have dialogue with the criminals want us to say to them. Should I say to them that we will forgive you for the killings in Lusignan? We will forgive you for all the other killings? The killing of the eight people in Agricola? The killing of so many others if you come in peacefully? Should I say that to them?” the President queried.
The Head of State said he is not going to say anything of the sort since they (the criminals) have to pay for what they have done.
“And we’re going to hunt them down and make them pay for what they did, so I don’t know, the people who are urging us to talk to these criminals, what they want me to say to them?”
President Jagdeo suggested instead that those making the call for such talks should themselves try to have dialogue with the criminals.
“I urge them to do that to see if they can broker some arrangement with these criminals out of the goodness of their hearts that they would stop killing people. I don’t subscribe to it for a moment. I think we have to go after these people and get them,” the Head of State said firmly.
Asked about the intelligence capacity of the Joint Forces to capture the criminals, President Jagdeo said that should these persons who may be in contact with the criminals know where they are, they should tell the security forces.
“That has been the problem. Not that we don’t have the capacity to engage but it is the intelligence on where they are. Now another group I’ve seen has said that these people are insurgents that they are fighting for a cause,” the President stated.
The President said that the issue is not about politics, race or religion, but about the decent people in every race and in every religion and in all political parties against criminals.
“So, when they say that it is an insurgence fighting for a cause for power sharing, I wonder how serious these people could be because if they…maybe that is why many of them stayed quiet when the same criminals killed eight Guyanese of African descent in Agricola because how could these insurgents be fighting for an African cause and then slaughter eight persons there?” he asked
Recalling that one person was even beheaded during the Agricola killing, President Jagdeo again queried how such gruesome killings could be for the said cause. “So it clearly runs counter to what they are suggesting. On one hand, I see many of them coming up and linking this to insurgency, everybody in the newspapers… but they are not answering the Agricola question. How is it that these insurgents fighting for an African cause would slaughter eight persons there?”
The President then recalled further that the most wanted criminal who is believed to be heading the gang of killers had said that the reason he is killing people is not for any cause but is because someone had his girlfriend which counters what several others have been saying in the media that the killings are linked to an insurgence.
“So clearly, these people, the so-called insurgency proponents are looking for any opportunity. They would use even the most vilest of crime to pursue a particular cause.. So you see the contradictions there and unfortunately the news media has been inundated with these people, these voices,” the Head of State contended.
He concluded that most of what is being heard and seen in the media are not the voices of decent Guyanese but propagandists.
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