THE People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has increased its call for Government to swear in the members of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) while maintaining that the body ought to remain independent of political interference.In power for 23 years before losing the May 2015 General Elections, the PPP has said that Article 212 of the Guyana Constitution speaks to the independence of the PPC, the election of a chairman and deputy chairman of the PPC by its members, and establishment of a secretariat, among other things.

“Therefore it appears that the President and the Prime Minister are unfamiliar with the constitutional provisions, or they are being badly advised; or that there has been a decision to not comply with these provisions,” the party said in a statement on Tuesday.

President David Granger recently said that members of the Public Procurement Commission have not been sworn in because of administrative concerns relative to their terms of reference. He told reporters on his weekly televised programme, ‘The Public Interest’, that he is ready to swear in those nominated.

“The parliamentary opposition reiterates that the setting of the terms of reference is not the remit of Government, but of the Commission and Commissioners (themselves), where only the National Assembly and the Public Accounts Committee have specified roles,” the PPP has said.

The party has reiterated its concern about the delay in the swearing in of the Commissioners, who are to establish their own terms of reference for the hiring of staff and the development of their budget and secretariat. The PPP is against Government or its agencies being involved in “setting up the TORs of the Commission, (and) the hiring and setting of salaries for the Secretariat in the absence of the properly constituted and sworn in Public Procurement Commission, and in violation of the Constitution.”

The PPP believes that there is “no acceptable reason for further delay in the swearing in of the Commissioners”, and noted that when Parliament resumes next week, the Public Accounts Commission, which is chaired by the party, will be carrying out its functions as outlined in the Constitution.

“We also reiterate that this delay is highly suspect. The then opposition having amended the Section 54 (1) and (6) by removing the Cabinet’s “No objection” role in the award of tenders, and having held the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill 2013 ransom in the 9th Parliament until, as the AFC stated, the PPC was appointed and established, this delay is not just inexplicable; it is immoral, belying their rhetoric over the last 13 years and election promises.”

The PPP believes that with several scandals lingering over the APNU+AFC, it is only fitting that the Commission gets to work. It is believed that the Sussex Street bond scandal should be one of the first issues investigated by the Commission.

Emily Dodson, Carol Corbin, Ivor English, Sukrishnalall Pasha and Dr. Nanda Gopaul have been nominated to serve on this Commission.