The Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) yesterday urged all political leaders to come together and declare war on crime with one voice and it called on the government to recognise that its first responsibility is to protect the State and its citizens.
In a statement yesterday on the crime situation the AOAG said “we are horrified at the unprovoked, violent attacks on innocent people, the stripping, beating and robbing of defenceless women, the violent invasion, assault and robberies of private homes and business places, virtually without let or hindrance, or protection by our security forces”.
The AOAG called on the government to recognise that “its first responsibility is to ensure and protect the security of the State, to maintain law and order and for the safety of its citizens”.
It implored political leaders to declare war on crime with one voice and denounce any and all forms of violence. The AOAG further called on political leaders to eschew politically and racially motivated confrontation as a means of justifying a political end and urged that they commit themselves and their parties “to honour their obligations to the process of constitutional, democratic and peaceful governance”.
The aircraft owners also appealed to political leaders to respect the “will of the electorate expressed at the polls and to conduct the political affairs of our country through the constitutional means of parliamentary discussion and debate”.
In particular, the AOAG asked that President Bharrat Jagdeo and Leader of the People’s National Congress REFORM Desmond Hoyte and the leaders of all the political parties to immediately, in good faith and without conditions, commit themselves to the joint consultation process initiated by the social partners.
The AOAG asked political leaders to accept that in the current circumstances their meeting and sharing the responsibility for addressing the crime crisis “is the only reasonable means of pursuing their respective political objectives within the framework of peace and good order”.
The group called on all Guyanese to raise their voices in condemnation of the criminality which is overwhelming the country and to accept that it is being driven by confrontational politics to which leaders must put an end.