PPP wants signing of crime communiqué before year-end

Guyana Chronicle
December 17, 2002

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THE People's Progressive Party (PPP), in its effort to seriously fight crime, has called on the PNC/R and other parties involved in the Social Partners anti-crime initiative to revert to the November 8, 2002 draft, which captured the perspectives of the parties and the Social Partners for signing before year-end.

The party in a statement recalled that earlier in the year, in the context of the most recent crime wave and its established political overtones, it called for national support for the law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime. The PPP said the record will confirm its previous call on all individuals and groups - political, religious, legal, labour, youth, women and ordinary citizens to demonstrate full support for this national task. The Party was even criticised for staging public events to mobilise national support for the crime fight.

The statement added: “ With this view and consistent with our genuine commitment, the Party endorsed the Government's initiatives to achieve national support to deal with this social scourge, including the National Consultation on Crime. similarly, the Party was ready to support and participate in the initiative of the Social Partners to reach a joint crime communiqué.

“The Party's position has always been to support measures, which were likely to result in the shoring up of and inspiring more confidence in the on-going anti-crime campaign of our law enforcement agencies. The Social Partners' representatives can confirm our prompt responses to their draft communiqués and even willingness to entertain, and where possible, accept suggestions and positions of the other parties.

“We were most encouraged when the Social Partners' draft Communiqué of November 8, 2002 was circulated after lengthy and intense discussions with all of the Parties. A reasonable and our understanding was that this draft reflected the inputs of all the Parties and the Social Partners. it is for this reason, despite several reservations, we were ready to compromise, the Party agreed to it. The General Secretary was ready to append his signature to the document.

“To our and the other parties' disappointment, the People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) on November 11, 2002 suddenly submitted additional and substantial amendments to the communiqué. In many instances, these departed significantly from its earlier agreement and acceptance of the draft proposed by the Social Partners.

“Certainly, out of frustration with the PNC/R backsliding and its failure to support immediate forward movement, the Social Partners proposed a meeting of all the Parties. Not surprisingly, this did not change the PNC/R's attitude to the early conclusion of the crime communiqué and was recalcitrant on not agreeing to the earlier accepted draft.

“At the three meetings held with all the parties, the Social Partners can testify to the eagerness and willingness of the PPP to support a practical document that would find favor with other parties and the Social Partners who undertook the initiative.

“The PPP calls on the Social Partners not to be frustrated by the PNC/R's lack of willingness to move forward on concluding the crime communiqué. Further, the PPP calls on the PNC/R and other parties to revert to the draft of November 8, 2002, which captured the perspectives for the Parties and the Social Partners, for signing before December 31, 2002.”

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