Despite the fact that the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) identifies the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as a massive chunk of its support base, the Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton dragged his feet during the process to reconstitute the Police Service Commission (PSC) – an entity with the power to better the lives of ranks. Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall made this claim during his recent “Issues in the News” programme.
The AG contends that if Norton cared about the upward mobility of the ranks, he should have been much more proactive, rather than opting to stay away from a follow-up meeting to consult on the appointment of members to sit on the commission.
“They have historically claimed that that the police force supports them. Now, if these are their supporters, one would expect that every action of theirs would be dedicated, intended and would be designed to ensure that the best interests of their supporters are advanced. Yet, when the time has come for the appointment of the Police Service Commission, you have this gerrymandering, procrastinating game being played by Mr Norton,” Nandlall said.
The AG said that Norton displayed “immaturity” by not making himself unavailable for the second round of consultation facilitated by the President. This, he claimed, reflects Norton’s “lack of appreciation” of the PSC’s importance.
Norton, however, has given reason for his absence. He said that he could not attend because he was busy with a “pressing” schedule while stressing that the meeting was being facilitated well beyond the agreed-upon seven-day period.
Noteworthy is the fact that Norton stated after the period had elapsed that he would not disrupt his schedule to meet with the President at a date and time he (the President) deems suitable.
Nandlall, in his usual style, queried “Norton says he’s busy? Busy doing what?
He continued, “This busyness is more important than advancing the cause of hundreds of police officers whose welfare is affected by a commission that is not appointed. He doesn’t see that. He wants to go on this ego trip that he seems to be on”.
The PSC governs, inter alia, the promotion and disciplining of police ranks. The one-year absence of the commission has resulted in stagnation, the AG said. He reminded also that the force has a retirement age, and many who transition out of the organisation after attaining that age, do so at a rank that does not reflect their years of service. Also, benefits including pension during post-retirement are reflective of the last rank held by the officer.
This “injustice”, the AG said, is one that the government sought to eradicate. However, the process hit a snag when Norton’s predecessor, Joseph Harmon, refused to acknowledge the government as legitimate. Nandlall said that further delay followed during the period when the opposition sought to have Norton take over from Harmon, and his induction into the National Assembly as a Member of Parliament (MP).
