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PPP establishes Integrity and Discipline Commission
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) says that it has established an internal Integrity and Discipline Commission.
This, General Secretary, Clement Rohee said, is a move to “ensure that members of our Party serving in public offices at all levels, maintain the highest level of integrity in the performance of their duties.”
This disclosure was made yesterday during a press conference held at Freedom House.
Rohee said that the Commission will investigate allegations of theft, bribery and forgery. He noted further, that the Commission is mandated to investigate misconduct by Party Members who engage in activities unbecoming of a good member. These could include defamation and sexual harassment or sexual misconduct.
According to Rohee, the decision to establish the Commission flows from the last Congress. He said however, that during deliberations at the new Central Committee meeting it was affirmed that additional steps be taken to establish “a mechanism to address allegations of misconduct and to reinforce party discipline, at all levels.”
Rohee said that the commission is made up of long standing executive party members who will report to the Executive Committee on its findings.
It was noted that the Committee will work like any other, receiving allegations, evidence and accessing the information.
Questioned about the names of those members, Rohee only identified Presidential Advisor Dr. Roger Luncheon and former Minister Clinton Collymore. The General Secretary declined to name any other committee member.
He did say, however, that the committee will be made up of about five persons. But couldn’t say who will be the chairman nor if one has yet been appointed. Rohee said the PPP will disclose that information at an “appropriate” time.
Rohee affirmed that release of that information is the prerogative of the PPP, again at an appropriate time. However, how soon will the appropriate time present itself remained a mystery.
What Rohee managed to respond directly to was whether the commission will be opened to investigating existing issues. The General Secretary said that once it is reported, the matter will be investigated irrespective of the period during which it occurred.
He pointed out that a report can be made by any member of the public and is not just opened to PPP members/supporters. The commission will address existing issues, anyone can complain.
Questioned about the public integrity commission as to whether the PPP will be pushing for it to function, Rohee said that those are two separate issues and at this point the PPP’s concern in this regard is about its members.
Several members of the PPP who hold public position have been accused of inappropriate behaviour in the past.
A tape-recording of a conversation between a boy identified as Julius from Linden, and an individual who many have identified as McCoy, has implications for the Rights of the Child Commission and for the integrity of the Office of the President.
Since the recording was first aired, people have telephoned to say that McCoy should not be a member of the Rights of the Child Commission. Some want him to resign as Liaison to the President. McCoy declined to take calls from people Friday evening.
Yesterday Rohee told the media that the establishment of the Integrity and Discipline Commission is a further enhancement of the Anti-corruption Committee established some years ago by the Party.
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