Deosaran: Criminals more organised than Govt

INDEPENDENT Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran yesterday wondered aloud what was the keepback in working out a solution to solving crime, when he noted that criminals appeared to be very organised while those in authority were fragmented. Speaking during debate of the Budget in the Senate, Deosaran said we lived in a conflict-driven society which we inherited from the Westminister system. He noted, however, that while other countries with the same political system were able to quarrel and still have the ability to negotiate to solve problems, “we seem not to have a centre or core,” but a parallel view where we were unable to reach a workable position.

He said it was amazing to him that “those responsible for crime at the political level seem so disorganised, while the criminals who are delivering fear and insecurity appeared organised while we are still quarreling about what to do.” He said we were putting ourselves in a position where there will be no alternative but to “perish slowly.” Deosaran lamented that crime, violence and public fear were of serious concern to the population and everyone was waiting to hear what will be done. “There is widespread concern, but why are we not prepared to sit down and work out a solution, what is keeping back the process?” he thundered. He also suggested that if it was that the Opposition UNC wanted constitutional reform to get their co-operation, why was it so impossible for Government not to tentatively state its position on the matter, rather than say it will come to it. He insisted that the Westminister system was stifling us and we needed to put our heads together because “crime was wiping us out and we have to make a start.”

Deosaran said he hoped his words were not falling on deaf ears, because if that was the case, “we might as well make Rudolph Guilliani, (former Mayor of New York) the Minister of National Security and continue to hear what Yesena Gonzales is saying.” Deosaran continued to speculate on whether we would have to use a psychic (Gonzales) to help us solve crime or a man who lived miles away in a society that was entirely different to ours. He said perhaps we looked for what was happening because we have waited too long to deal with the problem. Deosaran also expressed the view that the crime problem was encouraging some citizens to induce “totalitarianism” in the country, of which, he said the consequences were very serious. He said while in his view the Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, was right to refuse to implement a state of emergency to deal with the crime wave, as was suggested by Ken Gordon, head of the Crime Committee, others wanted the measure introduced.