Parties to debate policing in Guyana

Sep 25, 2011 News

The Facing the Future Initiative, organized by a several Non-Government Organisations, has invited the lead parties contesting this year’s general elections to debate the matter of policing in Guyana.
In a release, the NGOs say that few topics in Guyana generate such heat, indignation and anger as the ineffectiveness of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
In 2003 a full-scale Commission of Enquiry was launched primarily into the workings of the GPF, but over a 100 recommendations produced by that Enquiry have never emerged from Parliament, the organisations stated.
Facing the Future (FtF) is a coalition of civic organizations aiming to modernize Guyana’s system of government thus rendering it more inclusive and transparent. The upcoming election offers an opportunity to press political parties to initiate changes to render elections less secretive and more democratic.
In this spirit, Facing the Future (FtF) has invited the three alliances contesting the upcoming elections – the AFC, the APNU and the PPP/C to participate in a public Forum discussion on the reform of policing in Guyana on September 30 at Cara Lodge Conference Room on 294 Quamina Street, Georgetown, starting at 18:00 h.
FtF has not requested Presidential candidates to appear in person, although they are welcome. The more important aim is to learn what each of the contending alliances proposes to do about the critical issue of policing.
FtF circulated a set of policing-related themes, suggestive of the kind of issues which should find a place in any modern national policy on policing, the organisations stated.
They noted that when the Militia was established in British Guiana over 170 years ago by the colonial authorities its aim, as stated by the Governor, was “to keep the slaves in awe”.
Apart from name-changing ‘slaves’ to ‘citizens’ and ‘militia’ to ‘police’ little else has changed, the organisations noted.
They say the same military structure and fortified barrack-like police-stations prevail; highly-centralized decision-making leaves no discretion or budgets to regional commanders.
The sponsoring organizations are Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Church Women United (CWU), Commonground, Community-Based Rehabilitation-EBD, Guyana Council of Churches (GCC), Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), Guyana Society for the Blind, Guyana Workers Union (GWU), Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Rights of Children (ROC) , Red Thread, Vilvoorden Women’s Organization.

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Parties to debate policing in Guyana

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