President to meet Opposition Leader after Jamaica trip

Top Cop appointment

By Michael Younge

High ranking sources at the Ministry of the Presidency confirmed on Saturday that President David Granger is preparing to meet Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo upon his return from the Caricom Heads of Government meeting.
When they meet, Ganger and Jagdeo will discuss the appointment of Guyana’s next Police Commissioner, and the two important service commissions which must be fully constituted before any decisive appointments are made with the Police and Public Service sectors.
“I am not sure whether a preliminary meeting will be held first, but what I do know is that the Head of State is desirous of meeting Mr Jagdeo to discuss a number of important constitutional appointments…the meeting may happen two weeks after the date of his return,” the source said.
This confirmation comes on the heels of statements made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who reminded the media on Thursday that the matter of a substantive appointment of a Police Commissioner — after Seelall Persaud’s retirement back in April this year — was still before President Granger.
Currently, Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine is acting in the capacity of Guyana’s Police Commissioner. He has been interviewed as part of the selection process.
The other seven Assistant Commissioners interviewed for the post are Crime Chief Paul Williams; ACP, Operations: Clifton Hicken; Force Finance Officer Nigel Hoppie; ‘A’ Division Commander (ag) Leslie James; substantive ‘A’ Division Commander Marlon Chapman, who is currently on leave; ‘B’ Division Commander Lyndon Alves; and ACP, Administration II: Maxine Graham, the first woman contender ever for the post of Police Commissioner.
However, on Thursday, Minister Harmon reminded that the Police Service Commission has first to be fully constituted before any selection could be made. He reminded the media that the National Assembly recently approved some of the names following consultations with key entities.
Retired Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe heads the list of persons recommended by the National Assembly’s Committee of Appointments for appointment to the Police Service Commission. Retired Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway and retired Woman Assistant Commissioners Vesta Adams and Claire Jarvis have also been recommended.
The nominations to the Police Service Commission were received from the Association of Former Members of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Police Association. The selection process was conducted in accordance with Article 210 (1) (C) of the Constitution, which states: “four members appointed by the president upon nomination by the National Assembly after it has consulted such bodies as appear to it to represent the majority of the members of the Police Force and any such body it deems fit.”
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has declined media requests to name his favoured nominee for the post, saying any decision to identify the person he believes is most suitable would be done following consultations and discussions with President Granger on the matter.
Jagdeo has said that only after the process winds up would he be at liberty to inform the nation of both his concerns and whom he would have chosen were it solely up to him.
The Opposition Leader also confirmed that his office is not in receipt of any official correspondence for a meeting with Granger on the matter, nor has he been duly informed that a meeting would be taking place anytime soon.
The Commission of Inquiry set up by the President and executed by former Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slow had outlined several disciplinary actions to be taken against former Commissioner Seelall Persaud, among other senior officers who were interviewed by the Commission. The COI was set up to investigate an alleged plot to kill the President.
The Opposition Leader has since indicated his belief that Slowe had “had an axe to grind”, and was acting on the basis of vendetta.
According to Jagdeo, if Granger were serious about an investigation into the alleged plot against him, “he should not have appointed Paul Slowe to head it, because Paul Slowe has bad blood with many people.”