Ombudsman’s appointment only part of the task

Dec 21, 2013 News

-We must ensure that the office is effective – Granger
While the appointment of Attorney- at- Law and retired judge, Mr. Winston Moore, as the new Ombudsman come January 2014 can be seen as a pleasant sign, said Leader of the Opposition faction, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger.
But this is only part of the task, he said.

David Granger

During his presentation yesterday at a press conference held at his headquarters on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, the APNU Leader disclosed that as the laws command, he was consulted by President Donald Ramotar on Moore’s appointment. And while his agreement was not required, he told members of the media corps that there is another important aspect of this situation which should now be treated as priority.
He said, “While APNU does not have a role in the selection of the person for the office, the appointment of an Ombudsman after several years should be accompanied by a well staffed office. This is what the APNU wants.”
The Office of the Ombudsman, he reiterated, must be well staffed so that “investigations can be meaningful.”
And, “While it is not everything we would like,” he noted that “Moore’s appointment is only part of the task.”
Commenting on the issue, too, was Shadow Minister of Labour, Mr. Basil Williams. The Attorney-at Law said, “The role of the Ombudsman is to basically stand up for citizens. This independent body is also tasked with carrying out proper investigations on the violations of people’s rights.
“We don’t want the office to become a “sinecure” (a job or place that is paid but does little to no work) which has been the case in several instances in the past and there is a danger of it becoming like that if we don’t pay attention to it having an effective investigative capacity.”
Guyana has been without an Ombudsman since Justice Sheik Mohamed retired in 2005.