Too much presidential meddling in the daily affairs of the GDF

Jun 02, 2019 Letters

---

Dear Editor,

Kindly permit me the space to express my displeasure about the way in which the Guyana Defence Force is currently being run. Since the change of CIC in May 2015, the army has not been the same. President Granger is meddling too much in the daily affairs of the GDF and needs to back off and allow the Chief-of-Staff to do his work properly without interference and intimidation.

The president has made changes such as the way female ranks must wear their hair, to type of dress and shoes worn by officers and other ranks, to the amount of vacation leave officers and civilians should enjoy especially the ones that are attending external academic institutions. While these issues may have some importance, there are other pressing issues that we feel should be addressed by his Excellency and the Defence Board. However, the most notable changes are the ones dealing with promotions, retirement and interdiction of ranks.

Around January 2018, the president, through the Defence Board made a decision that once a soldier or officer is interdicted from duty and his/her matter is not resolved within 12 months after being interdicted, the rank must be immediately dismissed from the force. This decision is very alarming since the judicial arm of government is responsible for the administration of justice in Guyana and not the president or Defence Board. How such a decision was even allowed to be instituted is quite baffling, especially when the president has an attorney general to advise him on legal matters. This is a clear case of the executive arm of government impeding on the judicial arm and should not be condoned in any shape, form or fashion. Additionally, we all know how long legal cases take to be tried in this country. This “so call” policy is clearly putting ranks at a disadvantage and at risk of losing their jobs. What will happen when the matter is finally called up at the courts and the decision is in favour of the dismissed rank? Will they be compensated or reinstated for wrongful termination of service? I urge this policy be revised or dismissed because it will definitely put a strain on our already weak economy and a burden to our taxpayers’ sir.

From 2015 to present, the promotion criteria for officers and ORs have changed several times without any valid reason or explanation offered to us the junior officers. Just when you think your turn has finally arrived for promotion, out comes a new standard or requirement for elevation to higher rank.

The laws of Guyana, chapter 15:01, subsidiary legislation, clearly states the criteria for promotion for officers and ORs of the GDF as follows:

Based on what is clearly written in the Laws of this country, we the junior officers of the GDF, are requesting clarity on why the president has decided to ignore the constitution of Guyana with regards to our promotion to higher rank? Why aren’t we using the criteria that clearly stated in the constitution of this country? Delaying our promotion makes it harder for some of us to be eligible for promotion to higher rank especially since some of us are older and will be closer to the age of retirement in our present rank should this practice be allowed to continue.

Another issue of concern to us deals with retirement. The practice or norm for officers and ORs, was after giving 20 years of service to this nation, you were free to retire with all your benefits. However, our CIC has decided to change this practice, and call it resignation and not retirement. This means that if any rank chooses to voluntarily part from the GDF after 20 years of service, it will be considered a resignation and that rank will not receive any benefits. In order for one to receive all their benefits, they must do so upon reaching the age of retirement in their current rank.

The fact that the CIC can make these changes without any consultation with the higher command of the army or even his legal advisors says a lot about the direction and the way forward for the GDF. Clearly his Excellency and the defence board are either not familiar or have selective amnesia when it comes to the use of customs as a practice in the use of municipal and international law. It is even troubling that the Central Management Committee, the decision making organ of the GDF is silent on these serious matters. These senior officers are a big disappointment to us the junior officers since they seem either unable or reluctant to represent our interests. In our eyes they are seen as “CAREER PRESERVERS” only looking to protect themselves and their retirement packages, without care or concern for their subordinate ranks.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind the officers of the GDF, especially the senior officers that we are all protected by the following document:

After reading this document can you the senior officers honestly say that you are discharging your functions without fear or favour? Please do what is right and just for us the junior ranks serving in this great organization. Stop walking around the base proclaiming that you are a colonel, and you are the G3 etc, with the loudest voice yet failing to do what is right.

Concerned junior officer

---

---