THE proposed anti-crime Bills which form part of the Government's overall strategy to deal with the current high level of criminality in the country were successfully piloted through Parliament last night following debate at the 31st sitting.

The main opposition party, the People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R) maintained its boycott and was absent from the sitting, but Leader of Rise Organise and Rebuild (ROAR), Mr. Ravi Dev and Working People's Alliance/Guyana Action Party (WPA/GAP) member Ms. Sheila Holder were present.

Parliament was convened at a special sitting last week to introduce the proposed Bills which were read for the first time by Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Ronald Gajraj and Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Mr. Doodnauth Singh.

The Bills introduced 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

* Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2002 - Bill No. 12/2002

The proposed legislation was innovative and new and seeks to update current laws to make them relevant to the present situation, Government spokesmen said.

Among the proposed amendments, the Government was 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.

Opening the deliberations on the proposed Bills, Minister Gajraj delivered a statement on the current crime situation and the two shooting incidents in Georgetown Wednesday night which resulted in the death of five persons.

Voicing his outrage at the incidents and the present crime wave, he declared: "I feel constrained to point out that such terror against Guyanese cannot be divorced from the climate created by constant attacks against our principal law enforcement agency, the Police Force. These attacks from several quarters, no doubt, often prompted by narrow self-interests are deliberately orchestrated and calculated to demoralise our law enforcement agencies so as to adversely affect their effectiveness and embolden the criminal."

He added: "In these trying times, the Government has not shirked its responsibility to meet the challenges in the security domain. In fact, a range of measures has been and is being put in place to face up to this menacing development in our society.

"They include substantial additional financial inputs, training and retraining projects, provision of more vehicles and equipment, addressing welfare aspects of the Police Force, strengthening of community policing groups, including a wide section of our population - church, business and political interests - country wide consultations with citizens on how to enhance policing, restructuring programmes of the Police Force, with the collaboration of friendly overseas agencies as well as involvement of the Guyana Defence Force."

The minister expressed gratitude to all those who have selflessly come out to assist in these efforts. He also expressed, on his behalf and the Government, condolences to those who have lost their loved ones as a result of Wednesday night's heinous criminal acts.

Justifying the need for the new pieces of legislation, he argued: "Today, this National Assembly will be considering Bills that are not only relevant, but germane to the critical criminal situation which confronts our citizens and nation and which are intended to be yet another step to contain crime and assure citizens that we will act responsibly, we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to contain, if not eliminate this scourge from our midst."

Dev supported the Bills in principle but expressed the need for greater comprehensiveness to include compensation for victims of crimes and inclusion of measures to ensure the enforcement of legislation.

Holder, while acknowledging the right of the Government to implement measures and legislation to protect citizens, opined that the legislation posed a threat of infringing upon the rights and freedom of individuals. She also expressed the view that there should have been greater consultations with the Parliamentary parties.

However, Gajraj countered that the legislation has always been part of Guyana's Constitution and what was being sought was updating the relevant acts to commensurate with the present times. He pointed out that laws cannot remain static, and must be updated to meet the challenges of the changing conditions.

The minister assured the House that the legislation will in no way infringe upon the rights of individuals. On the contrary, it seeks to protect and uphold their rights, he said.

Gajraj informed Parliament that the legislation is consistent with what exists in leading democracies like India, England and other parts of the Commonwealth and the Caribbean.

Attorney General Singh, debunking Holder's contention, dismissed her claims as mere rhetoric, stating that as one who has been involved in the legal field for more than four decades, he does not respond to rhetoric.

He dared anyone to challenge the legality and constitutionality of the legislation, contending that a universal model legislation was adopted in drafting the Bills.

"We do not invent the wheel, we follow its tradition," the Attorney General declared.

People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament and former Attorney General, Mr. Bernard Dos Santos, refuting Dev's contention of comprehensiveness and compensation for victims, said those matters are ancillary and can be subsequently addressed.