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The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has called for the suspension of Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, as a start, for allegedly hitting Opposition MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley on Wednesday during the consideration of the estimates of Budget 2021.
According to Sarabo-Halley’s account, while she was headed to the washroom, McCoy approached her and attempted to video record her just after PPP/C Members verbally attacked Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield who was also there.
“I raised my hand to block him from recording me and he took his hand with his phone and just chucked me to my left temple and right now my head and my neck is hurting from it,” the MP recounted. Though Prime Minister, Mark Phillips has stated that McCoy has denied doing such and was nowhere near Sarabo-Halley, the WPA said that it is satisfied that the MP did not instigate the matter but severely disappointed in McCoys alleged actions.
“After speaking with Ms. Sarabo and other onlookers, WPA is satisfied that she did not provoke the encounter—it was initiated and escalated by McCoy. WPA condemns this cowardly act by a male member of the country’s highest deliberative body. Such action should not be tolerated in our country, especially by someone entrusted with power. WPA calls on the police to take swift action—McCoy should not get away with this. As a start, he should be suspended from the National Assembly forthwith. The Opposition members should not sit in the Assembly with this person,” the WPA said in a statement on Wednesday shared by Executive Member Dr. David Hinds.
Furthermore, the political party said that it is abhorred that at a time when violence against women is high, a Minister of Government would have allegedly physically assaulted a woman. It said that McCoy has a history of assaulting political foes but this should be the last time that he lays his hand on another citizen.
The WPA stated: “At a time when violence against women is prevalent in the society, McCoy’s action represents a direct endorsement of this scourge. We call on women and men throughout Guyana to register more than passing condemnation of this development…McCoy’s action cannot be divorced from the quality of governance the country has witnessed since the PPP came to power. We are of the firm view that the thuggish form of governance displayed by the PPP has set the stage for this kind of behaviour from the Member. The entire leadership of the PPP must bear responsibility for McCoy’s action.” The matter is currently under police investigation.
