Protection of State assets among key issues in PPP meeting with Top Cop

Jun 11, 2020 News

---

A high-level team from the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday met with Police Commissioner, Leslie James to discuss issues of “national importance”, key among them being the protection of State assets while the party awaits their anticipated transition into office.

The top brass team comprised Presidential Candidate Dr. Irfaan Ali, Prime Ministerial Candidate Mark Phillips, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and Former Attorney-General Anil Nandlall.
Irfaan Ali, who spoke to reporters outside of the Police Headquarters in Eve Leary after the meeting, stated that the party requested from the Commissioner, police presence at each government building, citing that same was done back in 2015 when the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition won the elections.
“You would recall that in 2015 that there were police officers stationed at every ministry and department while the transition was taking place…
So, we have asked him to ensure that he looks at this and ensure that systems are in place to secure State assets and documents and the Commissioner assured us that systems will be put in place to do justice,” Ali said.
POST DECLARATION VIOLENCE & RACIAL HOSTILITY
The PPP also sought assurance from the Commissioner that systems would be in place, in the event of violence after the declaration of the March 2, 2020 election is made.
According to Ali, there have been threats on social media of unrest and a string of racially charged statements made by people “who are bent on creating mischief in our society and dividing our people along racial lines.”
“The Commissioner has assured us that they are actively monitoring the situation, they are gathering intelligence and they are securing information to deal with such threats if they arise.”
“The funny thing is that a lot of these persons that are doing this, trying to divide people racially, are those living outside of Guyana, and who have no interest in coming back here but bent on creating mischief and I think it is time that the force deal with these persons,” Ali told the media.
He noted that the Commissioner has compiled a list of “breaches” and that has been sent for legal advice.
No witch-hunts
The Presidential Candidate was questioned on why the issue of the flawed list sent out by the Top Cop to the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh was not raised at the meeting.
To this, Ali stated that the issue has been fully ventilated in the public after persons emerged with evidence to refute the claim that they had migrated and did not vote at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
The Top Cop came under heavy criticism after he maintained that the list containing 172 names was accurate after it was deemed to be flawed.
Responding to questions on whether the PPP plans to remove the Commissioner James from his position when they get into office, Ali said that, “We are not in witch-hunting exercise.”
“We are not going on a witch-hunting exercise about firing people and so on.” Ali said, “We are moving forward in this country, in building a strong country that is inclusive, a country that is tolerant of different ideas and different views, and a country in which all Guyanese must be proud of, that is what I am looking forward to.”
“We are going to act professionally. The Commissioner has assured us that he and his team will continue to act professionally; they would act professionally and we hold the Commissioner to his commitment.”
Jagdeo misinforms
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo told the press that Irfaan Ali, according to Article 177 (b) of the Constitution is “deemed” the President.
Explaining his statement, Jagdeo stated that Article 177 2(b) says “that once it is established that one list has more numbers than the other list, then the head of that list, the Presidential Candidate, on the list that has the majority vote, is deemed the President of Guyana and that the Chair of GECOM shall declare him as President.”
But Jagdeo failed to mention the key role of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield in advising GECOM Chair in making the declaration.
However, a check of that very section of the Constitution in its entirety says: “Where there is only one Presidential candidate at an election: or there are two or more Presidential Candidates, if more votes are cast in favour of the list in which a person is designated as Presidential candidate than in favour of any other list, that Presidential candidate shall be deemed to be elected as President and shall so be declared by the Chairman of the Elections Commission acting only in accordance with advice of the Chief Elections Officer, after such advice has been tendered to the Elections Commission at a duly summoned meeting.”
With all the Regions certified, the country awaits the declaration of results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. GECOM’s CEO Keith Lowenfield has until June 13 to submit his report to the seven-member Commission for deliberation.

 

---

---