PRESIDENT David Granger has agreed to allow Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo to submit a nominee for the Teaching Service Commission, the Ministry of the Presidency has reported.

This was done when the Guyanese leader met with Jagdeo on Wednesday at State House. That meeting was substantially to deal with the appointment of a Chancellor of the Judiciary and a Chief Justice. In a release, the ministry said the two leaders also deliberated on the appointment of members of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The Minister of State, in briefing the ministry’s Public Relations Unit, said the President had submitted the full list of seven nominees to Jagdeo, with whom he is required to consult.

Of the seven names, the three that were identified by the President, were the subject of the discussions between the two sides. According to Harmon, the Opposition Leader spoke of a convention whereby the Opposition is allowed to put forward a nomination to the Commission and in the interest of good governance, the President readily agreed. “Clearly, that is not what the law is, but in so far as us trying to ensure that we have a Commission that is fully representative [of the Guyanese society], the President agreed for the Leader of the Opposition to submit a name that he will consider. So as it is right now, the Commission is not yet established because of the need for the Leader of the Opposition to submit a name, which he has undertaken to have done very shortly because of the need to ensure that we have a Commission to deal with the issues in relation to [the teaching fraternity],” Minister Harmon stated.

The provision of a name by the Opposition Leader will signal the end of the necessary consultations on the TSC. The President will then consider the Opposition’s nominee, paving the way for the appointment of this Commission. The last TSC was chaired by Leila Ramson and included Allan Munroe, Avril Crawford, Maydha Persaud, Kamal Keshore Dhanesar and Roopnarine Harripersaud. The Chief Education Officer is an ex-officio member of the commission.