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AFC condemns police actions, calls on Commissioner to resign
– errant police should be sent to “Monkey Mountain”
The Alliance For Change (AFC) is denouncing the use of excessive force by members of the Police
Leader of the AFC, Raphael Trotman
Force against A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) protesters. The party is also calling on the Police Commissioner Henry Greene to resign.
This was expressed by leader of the AFC, Raphael Trotman at the party’s weekly press conference at Fourth Street, Campbellville yesterday.
He said that the right to protest is a sacred and sacrosanct and should not be violated.
“The conduct of the protestors did not warrant the use of tear smoke and rubber pellets. If the police perceived that they were under threat, certain firing orders should have been considered along with protocols that should have been put into place…We cannot in any shape or form condone what happened and we are quite disappointed in the police officers, those who were on the ground and who were in their offices directing the operation.”
Adding that in most other countries the Commissioner of Police would have had to resign; Trotman said that he is still surprised that the commissioner is still on the job given all that happened under his watch.
There were children and innocent bystanders who were affected by the acts of the police, Trotman said. “We condemn it as cowardly and as even bullyism; we would not stand for it and would add our voices in a strong way against the police actions.”
“The police force issues a statement saying that the incident was unfortunate. That perhaps is the closest we have come in the last decade to any form of apology. That is not enough; they need to visit those families and apologise.”
GECOM
Trotman noted that the entire incident could have had been avoided if GECOM had acceded to a simple request for the certifying documents which were used to declare the results of the 2011 elections with all the contesting parties and stakeholders.
He said that GECOM has the constitutional duty to provide supporting documents to show how the body arrived at its decisions.
Adding that it is now widespread opinion that citizens have lost faith in GECOM, Trotman said that there were repeated breakdowns in the elections body from 1997, 2001, 2006 and now again in 2011.
“Public confidence in GECOM is at an all time low…AFC would be calling for a complete overhaul, which can start with the removal of all the commissioners. Particularly those appointed to represent the opposition.” Trotman emphatically said.
He said that four days to count 400,000 votes in 2011 is a complete disappointment.
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