Despite talks of a close relationship with the Working People’s Alliance (WAP) and earlier admissions of the holding of joint public meetings to “strategize”, People’s Progressive Party’s General Secretary, Clement James Rohee denied knowing of any intention on the part of the combined Opposition to overthrow the then governing People’s National Congress (PNC).Clement RoheeIn fact, the politician is of the opinion that the WPA and PPP in those days had joined forces to work solely for the freedom of the people.These views were shared by the party’s General Secretary under intense cross-examination as the Commission of Inquiry (COI) set up to get to the bottom of political advocate, Dr. Walter Rodney’s death, continued yesterday.Dr. Rodney, a scholar, social activist and co-founder of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) was killed in an explosion on June 13, 1980.Rohee had previously testified that the political figure had been the victim of state-sponsored terrorism and that the period 1978 – 1980 was one which saw members of both the PPP and WPA being kept under close surveillance by the members of the Special Branch of the Guyana Police Force.He had earlier testified too that his party’s supporters made calls to take action against the pressures of the Government and that they had considered taking up arms.The now Minister of Home Affairs had previously painted a disheartening image of the economic situation prevailing in the country during the 1978 – 1980 period. He had pointedly said that the economy was a total disaster as a result of the policies of the then governing party.The long standing PPP member had told tales of a politically oppressed nation; distancing his party from the practices of that time.When he returned for cross-examination yesterday, Basil Williams, the attorney representing the PNC suggested to Rohee,Cheap Jerseys From China, that the government of the day was following a socialist pattern but the Minister stated that his party didn’t agree with the social form that the PNC had adopted.Williams said that one of the principles was taking the commanding rights of the economy through which the Government would nationalize certain important industries in the country that were foreign-owned.The lawyer suggested to Rohee that the PPP offered critical support to the policies of the then government of the day. He said that meant his party supported what they then considered to be the progressive policies of the then government but were critical of many other policies and methodologies in which those ‘progressive policies’ were carried out.“We had no control as the opposition party over the decision-making process…the manner in which it was carried out. We had views that were different from the government.”Rohee said that between 1976 and 1978, the economy began to decline and as that happened,China Jerseys Free Shipping, certain social, political and economical policies developed in the country. He said that it was around that time that Dr. Rodney “appeared on the scene”.He said the declining economy resulted in the changes in policies.Rohee explained that overtime, people felt the locals were being exploited by foreign expatriates but when the local “bureaucratic and parasitic bourgeoisie” took over,Cheap Jerseys Online, it was found that the industries were not being properly run, and the amount of monies that was being pumped into the industries were not giving the necessary results and monies were being siphoned off from these industries to pay for things like the Guyana National Service and other paramilitary groups that existed at that time.Rohee said that the state siphoned off huge sums to build and grow towards the militarization of the economy and that the State trying for cooperative socialism was a failure.The Minister went on to describe a country plagued by nepotism. He said in order for anyone to land a job in any state enterprise you had to have some sort of political connection; “party card” or be in some way associated with the main functionaries in a state enterprise or ministry.Rohee said too that based on the high level of political influence those already employed could not be promoted. He claimed that the practices at the time “didn’t gel with the whole philosophy of socialism.”Williams grilled Rohee on whether the decision and execution of nationalization received critical support from the PPP at the time.To this, the Minister said that when his party analyzed the steps being taken to nationalize bauxite and sugar primarily and to bring it under the control of the State, they recognised that as a policy measure the PPP should have supported it.Rohee admitted, however, that when things “changed,” his party never sought to formally withdraw their support.The General Secretary claimed, however, tha