Regional News

Guyana’s attorney general and minister of legal affairs, says that only the president can remove Rohee from office and that Article 183 of the constitution states on what grounds such an official can be removed. All this comes on the heals of a debate that commenced on Wednesday evening on an opposition’s no-confidence motion in the National Assembly against Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee.

The attorney general said that he recognized that what transpired in Linden on July 18 is a tragedy which is beyond dispute.

The attorney general said the president, in exercising powers which reside in him under the Commission of Inquiry Act, committed himself to the establishment of a commission to inquire into this tragedy. Only the Commission of Inquiry could determine the faith of the home affairs minister responsible.

He explained that the motion in its entirety is one that pre-empts, prejudices and undermines the integrity of a process to which parties would have committed themselves, as the call is being made for Rohee to resign and for the members of the National Assembly to vote that they have no confidence in him.

Mr. Nandlall also said that the legal truth of the matter is that Mr. Rohee does not hold office due to the confidence of this Assembly… a minister is appointed under the constitution by the President and he comes to the house as an elected official therefore, only the president can remove him.

He added that by making such a call for the minister of home affairs to go, indicates that there is a conclusion that he is responsible, however that decision is to be made by the Commission of Inquiry.

President Donald Ramotar had announced that a full investigation will be launched into the fatal shooting of three Linden protestors and, during a meeting with the opposition, Region 10 chairman and the private sector, an agreement was reached to have a Commission of Inquiry investigate the July 18 events in the mining town.