"I fully subscribe to what my colleague the Ambassador of the United States said last Saturday: `There is no justification for criminal violence in a democratic society; just as there is no justification for political violence in a democracy'," Marcoux said yesterday.

The Canadian High Commissioner was at the time signing an agreement with Prime Minister Sam Hinds for CDN$100,000 assistance from the Canadian Government for the recently established bipartisan Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB).

The Canadian envoy noted that Guyanese society is going through a very difficult time.

"Ten years ago it opted, through free and fair elections, for democracy. But democracy cannot be defined only by the periodic holding of elections," Marcoux said.

"Democracy is also defined by the inclusiveness of all citizens in the process of government; democracy is defined by the quality of the dialogue between the politicians themselves, whatever their political allegiance; between the politicians and civil society and between the different groups who form the civil society," he said.

"Democracy can be judged by the quality of the dialogue between these different sectors of society (and) this is the kind of democracy that all our governments have promised to uphold during the last Summit of the Americas," Marcoux added.

Such a democracy, he said, thrives above all in Parliament, the normal place to discuss the affairs of the nation.

It is strengthened through the different media whose task it is to inform the public of the main current of ideas and opinions discussed in a society, "but it never, never flourishes in the streets", he said.

"The street may be a meeting place for the citizens, it is not the proper place to conduct the affairs of the nation," he asserted.

Godard on Saturday said that one reason Guyanese are so frightened by the current crime wave plaguing this country is that the problem is being debated in a particularly acrimonious political environment.

He said that in this environment, criminal violence, normally roundly condemned by all sectors of society, has been treated almost like "a legitimate subject for debate".

Godard, however, pointed out that there should be no room for doubt since Guyana is a democratic society that is founded on and depends for its existence on respect for the rule of law.

"There is no justification for criminal violence in a democratic society, just as there is no justification for political violence in a democracy," he said.

The U.S. Ambassador was at the time addressing a large gathering at the gala opening of the technologically advanced DIDCO multi-million-dollar poultry farm at Yarowkabra on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

Godard yesterday said his office is reviewing its aid programme to Guyana and will look at ways to help Guyana fight crime.

This follows his statement Saturday that "Guyana's friends in the international donor community, including my own country, are prepared to help in this regard".

He told the Chronicle that the U.S. has not "designed anything in particular" but said it will continue to look at ways in which it can help Guyana in the most needed areas.

He noted that the U.S. would not like to duplicate efforts of any other donor country, referring to the United Kingdom's help to Guyana in reforming the Police Force, and the prison and judicial systems. (Additional reporting by Neil Marks)