THE PSC AND THE CONFIRMATION OF THE TOP COP

Sep 05, 2008 Editorial

While by far his greatest triumph has been the Joint Services killing of Guyana’s Most Wanted, Rondell Fineman Rawlins, the tenure of Henry Greene and the decision to confirm him as a substantive Commissioner of Police ought not to be judged solely by this single incident.
In fact, ever since he took over as head of the Guyana Police Force, Mr. Greene has made significant inroads into the criminal networks that have tormented this country, and long before last week’s confrontation which brought an end to Fineman’s reign of terror, there have been calls for him to be confirmed because of the excellent job he has been doing.
It is however understandable that the elation and relief with which the Private Sector Commission no doubt welcomed the ending of the terror activities of Fineman, that it would at the time see it as a propitious moment to call for the confirmation of the Commissioner of Police. Not many Guyanese will have a problem with this call by the PSC.
However, the PSC as a body of learned and successful businessmen ought to have been sensitive to the concerns expressed by the Leader of the Opposition in relation to the modalities that need to be engaged before this appointment can be made.
Since these modalities have a bearing on respect for our constitution and the rule of law, it was unfortunate that the PSC, a major stakeholder in Guyana and one which joined both the opposition and the government in engagements in the security sector earlier this year, does not see itself as brokering an accommodation between the government and the opposition which would ensure that the Commissioner’s ultimate confirmation is free from rancor and controversy.
The source of a possible controversy is not that the Leader of the Opposition is opposed to the appointment of Mr. Greene. On the contrary, the Leader of the Opposition is insisting that there have been no formal consultations on the matter.
In this regard, he has advanced a strong case that the question of the commissioner’s appointment was only raised to him informally and that the discussions therein did not meet the standards that meaningful consultations demand as laid out in our constitution. He also advised quite wisely that before the government moves ahead that it seeks an answer from the US authorities as to why it had recalled a visa issued to the now acting head of the Guyana Police Force.
While the US is not expected to respond to any such query – as a matter of policy it does not publicly discuss its visa decisions – the proper thing for the government to do is to ask so that it in the long run it cannot be accused of moving ahead with the appointment with such a matter hanging over the process.
Having asked and not having gotten a response, the government would be in a better position to say that it did its duty and was thus free of responsibility.
Mr. Henry Greene, we believe, has on his performance alone earned the right to be confirmed in the job. But there is also the need to ensure that his appointment follows the prescribed constitutional procedures.
The Leader of the Opposition is making a strong case that the requisite consultations have not been held. It would be unfortunate, if the government nitpicks on this issue. It would also be unfair to Mr. Greene for his appointment to be shrouded in controversy.
We hope that this issue will not become contentious and that there will be smooth process of confirmation. But just in case there are problems that arise, we hope that the PSC which has been so forthright in calling for Mr. Greene’s confirmation would play the role of a good-faith broker and ensure that the necessary points of dispute are resolved.

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THE PSC AND THE CONFIRMATION OF THE TOP COP

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