THE National Assembly last Thursday approved the names of nominees for the Police and Judicial Service Commissions to be approved by the President. The names approved by the National Assembly, to be referred to the President, included the Deputy Commissioner of Police (ret’d), Mr. Lloyd Alvin Smith; Assistant Commissioner of Police (ret’d), Mr. Harold Martin;

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ret’d) and practicing Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Keith Malcolm John,
; and Mr. Omesh Satyanand.
Nominees were drawn from the Police Association, the Association of Former Members of the Guyana Police Force, the National Commission on Law and Order, and the National Community Policing Executive.
Presidential Adviser on Governance and Chief Whip for the Government, Ms. Gail Teixeira, speaking on behalf of the motion, noted that the nominations represented “a broad spectrum of persons from the Police Association, Association of Former Members of the Guyana Police Force, the National Commission on Law and Order, and the National Community Policing Executive.
And there is a good spread of former police, as well as civilian representatives in order to ensure that the Commission did not only include officers but also the voice of civilians.
Teixeira commended the work of the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments. She noted that the Committee had held to the resolution that was set out during the Ninth Parliament to have meaningful consultations with the four organisations that are representative of the majority of members in the Guyana Police Force.
On the functions of the Police Service Commission, the Chief Whip, in an invited comment, stated that the mandate of such a commission is aimed at recruitment, appointment, promotions and discipline.
In dealing with the discipline of members of the Police Force, she noted that it is only when there is an issue referred to the commission where accusations of abuse can be proven that the commission may dismiss members who were involved.
Chairman of the Committee of Appointments, Dr. George Norton, presenting the motion, asserted that in keeping with Article 210 (1)(c) of the constitution, after meaningful consultation with relevant bodies, nominees are drawn from these bodies and those nominees are approved by the National Assembly. The list of nominees will then be presented to the President for approval, after he has consulted meaningfully with the Leader of the Opposition.
On the appointment to the Judicial Service Commission, the National Assembly unanimously approved the nomination of Justice Lennox Perry (ret’d) in accordance with Article 198 (2)(c) of the Constitution for appointment by the President, after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.
“[The] Judicial Service Commission is one of the greatest difficulty and we call for the expeditious handling of the discussions between the Leader of the Opposition and the President, to be able to have the additional nominee, other than those which come from Parliament,” Teixeira stressed.

(By Derwayne Wills)