The Bills were read for the first time by Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj and Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Doodnauth Singh in the absence of the main opposition People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R).

Introduced at the sitting attended by other parliamentary parties - Rise, Organise and Rebuild (ROAR) and the Working People's Alliance/Guyana Action Party (WPA/GAP) - were the Criminal law (Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2002-No.9/2002; Prevention of Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2002-Bill No. 10/2002; Racial Hostility (Amendment) Bill 2002-Bill No.11/2002 and the Evidence (Amendment ) Bill 2002-Bill No. 12/2002.

Minister Gajraj introduced the first three Bills, while the fourth was read by the Attorney General.

The sitting was adjourned until Monday when there will be further deliberations of the proposed pieces of legislation.

Earlier this week, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Reepu Daman Persaud, told reporters that "Parliament is in recess, but because of the serious crime situation in the country it has been decided to convene Parliament. The Standing Order allows for this in the circumstances."

The Minister explained that some the proposed legislation are innovative and new and seek to update current laws to make them relevant to the present situation.

Among the proposed amendments, the Government is seeking to increase penalties for criminal offences and to broaden the scope of evidence that could be presented in Court, including video tapes and data embodied in various other types of equipment and monitoring of deportees with criminal records. Pertaining to the latter, Persaud said current laws do not cater for monitoring of persons who have committed crimes outside of Guyana.

According to the Minister, the Attorney-General had consultations with a number of organisations, including the Judiciary and Guyana Bar Association in relation to the proposed amendments to the laws pertaining to criminal offences.

Persaud said it is anticipated that these measures will act as deterrents to criminal activity, and consideration will be given to further legislation, should the need arise.

Following the introduction of the Bills, arrangements will be made for them to be debated early next week and their subsequent passage and the President's assent, so that they can come into legal effect expeditiously.

Responding to a question about whether the PNC/R will participate in the deliberations, Persaud replied in the negative, but added that he would urge its representatives to do so because of the national importance of the issue.

The Minister observed that Guyanese want to live peacefully with each other. "Citizens want to live in peace, harmony and interact freely with each other. Guyanese are a peace loving people and every effort must be made, through persuasion and appeals, to return Guyana to that desired condition of peace and stability. Guyana is richly endowed, hospitable and caring and has a future for everyone without exception. Everyone should feel secure in this great land of ours," he declared.