They say ‘never judge a book by its cover’. The book the reader now holds in their hands is a good example of a book that should not be judged by the title.

This book’s title can be deemed misleading. But a book can represent a person who ought not to be prejudged for his or her worth.

‘I wish I could have done more in joining with others to bridge the deep ethnic and political divide that so menacingly threatens to burst asunder the social fabric of our fragile democracy. But the age old problem seems to be deeply embedded in the Guyanese national psyche, that is why it will take years of hard work before it shows signs of its beginning to gradually wither away.

Perhaps it will be the next generation to whom the responsibility will fall to heal the wounds and lift Guyana onwards, upwards!’

A mixed race Guyanese, Clement James Rohee was born in Georgetown, Guyana in March 1950. He attended public school up to the age of 14 and an evening college for one year. At the age of 18, he joined the youth arm of the People’s Progressive Party of Guyana and remained active in politics having been elected to the leadership of the Party. He studied political science in Moscow and spent three years in Prague as a political representative and journalist. He served as a member of Guyana’s Election Commission from 1981 to 1994 At age 42, he was elected to, and served as a member of parliament from 1992 to 2019; and a Minister of Government from 1992 to 2015 serving at the ministries of Foreign Affairs; Foreign Trade and International Cooperation and finally, at Home Affairs. At age 63 he was elected General Secretary of the Party. Rohee has traveled widely in the Caribbean and throughout the world. He has 23 years of experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy and international trade negotiations as well as in national and public security issues. He served as CARICOM’s Representative to superintend the negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO). He was lead negotiator on sugar on behalf of the Caribbean Community with the European Commission. He was an active participant in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)group in negotiations with the European Union for a new Economic a Partnership Agreement (EPA). He was an active participant in the Caribbean Community’s negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Rohee has published his speeches, letters and articles in books entitled: ‘Facing The Challenges;’ ‘Our Public Security Legislative Agenda’; ‘Securing the Nation’ and ‘Those Days.’ He co-authored with Cheddi Jagan, a booklet entitled: ‘Guyana - ‘A Bed of Thorns.’ Rohee lives in Guyana.