By Fareeza Haniff
[www.inewsguyana.com] – General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee dodged questions that Local Government Minister, Ganga Persaud was involved in an “inappropriate” relationship with a young female, thus why he resigned from government.
Rohee was grilled on the issue on Monday, January 27 during the Party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House. When asked if the PPP is concerned with these reports, Rohee was hesitant to answer.
He said to one reporter, “You’re treading on very sensitive grounds; you’re treading on extremely sensitive grounds that could have far reaching implications.”
Ganga Persaud shocked the nation when he announced his resignation on January 23. The resignation was accepted by President Donald Ramotar and becomes effective on January 31.
When asked if the PPP is concerned about the reports implicating Persaud, Rohee said, “We are concerned in respect of all government ministers committing acts of indiscretion, committing acts of impropriety, committing acts of dishonesty, committing acts of corruption while carrying out their ministerial responsibilities. That has been a long established concern ever since we took office in 1992.”
Persaud remains a government Parliamentarian and a member of the PPP and its central committee.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary also confirmed that it was indeed the President who asked the Minister to resign. “Whatever position the government took, Office of the President in this particular case…and once we were involved in the consultative process, I have absolutely no difficulties with the decision of the President to sever the Comrade’s relationship with the Cabinet…we support it fully,” Rohee said.
He further noted, “If there was an act of discretion, if there was an act of dishonesty, whatever the act may have been, that would have led the Office of the President taking that decision, the Party goes along with it.”
President Ramotar at a press conference last week following the announcement of Persaud’s resignation also dodged the question as to whether he had asked the Minister to resign.
The President did not answer the question directly. He only said, “I accepted the resignation.”
