Dookeran to Manning: Let’s talk

Dookeran said he was acting on Richards’ suggestion in his speech at the opening of Parliament that strong, bipartisan action was needed in the face of the crime crisis.

Dookeran said since Prime Minis-ter Patrick Manning’s public invitation to him (Dookeran) that they meet as political leaders to discuss crime and other issues, he had heard nothing from Manning. Manning had made the offer during the Budget wind-up.

Dookeran stated that he had already outlined the terms of engagement for constructive dialogue. The terms included, he said, a guarantee that people’s fundamental freedoms would be protected; a cessation of "indirect public funding of criminal activities"; a recognition that Government had the resources and constitutional responsibility to deal with crime and that legislation was not the solution to crime; and a guarantee that the Police Service would not be politicised.

Yesterday, some MPs stated that they felt that the discussion between Government and Opposition should begin and that there should be a review by both Government and the Opposition of their various positions on the anti-crime bill. Chaguanas MP Manohar Ramsaran stated that he believed that the Police Reform Bills were good, and should be passed. "They are about putting things right in the Police Service," he said. However, he was against the Constitution Amendment Bill, which proposed the abolition of the Police Service Commission. He said he felt Government should call in the Opposition to begin talking about ways to address the crime situation. "We have to stop playing politics and stop blaming each other and begin meaningful discussion," Ramsaran said.

St Joseph MP Gerald Yetming stated that he believed that it was time for the UNC to rethink its position not just on the issue of crime and anti-crime legislation, but on everything. "Let Winston Dookeran bring to bear his perspective on this (crime) and other issues. The debate should be re-opened. We may arrive at a fresh outlook or we may end up with the same position, but we need a fresh debate," he said.