President Ali swears in Police Service, Integrity Commission members

Jun 01, 2022 News

Members of the Police Service Commission were sworn in on Tuesday by President Irfaan Ali (Photo Credit: Office of the President)

By Gary Eleazar

Kaieteur News – Head of State, President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday swore in the members of the Police Service Commission and Integrity Commission.
The simple ceremony was venued at the Credentials Room at the Office of the President where Police Service Commission Members, Patrick Findlay, Lloyd Mark Conway and Ernesto Choo-a-Fat were administered the oath of office, presided over by President Ali.
Akeem Mohamed, the other member of the commission was unavoidably detained and as such would be sworn in at a later date while Findlay was appointed Chairman by President Ali.
Each of the members had been nominated by the Members of the National Assembly with President Irfaan Ali choosing the Chairman.
Those sworn in as members of the Integrity Commission included Chairperson Chandra Gajraj, Joyclyn Kim Kyte-Thomas, Mohamed Haniff, Hardesh Tiwari and Wayne Chris Bowen.
Also present for the simple ceremony was Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, and Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira.
Addressing the small gathering, the Head of State noted that each of the individuals sworn in were outstanding Guyanese in various fields, whether religion, academia, or in various professional careers.
He was adamant that Tuesday’s event was had only after following the process outlined. With this in mind, the President reminded that Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton had been invited by way of letter on April 29, last. According to President Ali, on May 9, last, the opposition leader in a missive to the Office of the President requested the Curriculum Vitae for each of the individuals nominated for the various positions and this was done.
As it relates to the meeting that was supposed to be had on Monday, President Ali told media operatives that 15 minutes before the scheduled start of that meeting, Minister Teixeira received a letter from Norton requesting that the President provide the grounds on which the appointments were being made.
According to Ali, his response to Norton was that each of the persons nominated were outstanding Guyanese before providing a brief outline of each of the nominees’ careers thus far.
President Ali was adamant, “in charting this course of ‘One Guyana’ we will seek out from among us, those who have the credentials and are willing and ready to serve at every level in moving our country forward. As President, I have the confidence that the people appointed today, the Guyanese appointed today not only have skills but they have character to execute the duties they are called upon to execute.”
On the other hand, the Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton held his press conference during which he reiterated that the Opposition is still not in receipt of the grounds upon which each specific recommendation for appointment, that are subject to consultation, are made.
Norton stated too that the state of affairs continued despite sending a letter, dated May 11, 2022, highlighting that the letter he got from Minister Teixeira was lacking information to which a better understanding can be grasped on the subjects of the proposed consultation.
As it relates to the permanent appointments to the offices of Chancellor and Chief Justice, Norton stated that the Opposition is committed to agreeing to the immediate appointment of Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Roxane George-Wiltshire as the Chancellor and Chief Justice respectively.
However, he noted that President Ali’s statement that he is not prepared at this time to engage in consultations on this matter of supreme Constitutional importance, “is a seemingly gross dereliction of his Constitutional duty and a clear indication that he is non-responsive to the concerns of Civil Society and the people of Guyana.”
As such, Norton called for immediate action to be placed on the agenda for consultations which will result in the confirmation of the Chancellor (ag) and Chief Justice (ag).