Police on high alert for disruptions - Jagdeo insists people have a right to protest “illegal” administration

Police on high alert for disruptions – Jagdeo insists people have a right to protest “illegal” administration

Mar 22, 2019 News

Police Chief, Commissioner Leslie James, has announced that the force has placed police stations in all regions on high alert amid reports of intentions to disrupt the calm.
The warnings come ahead of this afternoon’s rulings of the Court of Appeal on the no-confidence vote of December 21 in the National Assembly. That vote heralded the fall of the Coalition Government.
The government has challenged the legality of the vote.
There were calls for protests as the 90-day deadline for holding early elections, according to the Constitution, elapsed at midnight.

The police force is on high alert ahead of possible protests ahead of today’s Court of Appeal’s decisions on the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly.

Yesterday, Commissioner James, in expressing Holi greetings, implored that the current calm, peace and tranquility remain throughout the nation.
He said that this should be even as the decision of the Court of Appeal is pending.
“The leadership and members of the Guyana Police Force have noted on social media, notions of a seeming intention to disrupt the current calm in our society. May I warn that anyone found in breach of the law will be dealt with in a condign manner.”
In the police statement, James said that Force’s membership throughout the 10 administrative regions is on high alert and endeavours to prevent and respond to any eventuality.
The commissioner also said that contrary to what was reported in the press yesterday, that the Guyana Police Force has been renamed the Guyana Police Service, this is not so.
“It should be noted that the name change was proposed only at the meeting of the Police Reform Change Board (PRCB). Such name change will require, among other things, wider consultations and legislative amendments.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, in a Facebook post yesterday, said that the people of Guyana have a right to peacefully protest the “usurpation of the constitution” by an administration that would be illegal as of midnight last night.
“I have learnt of reports that there are a few officers who are repeating to the ranks of the Guyana Police Force the lies, emanating from the APNU+AFC camp, that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) plans violent protests. I urge those doing this to desist from doing so and to continue to act professionally,” Jagdeo said in his post.
The Opposition Leader said that he has sought to contact the Commissioner of Police, to inform him of these reports and to “reiterate the party’s full support for the Guyana Police Force, in dealing condignly with anyone who is involved in any act of violence, including damage to property.”

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