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Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, on Monday evening, deemed President Irfaan Ali unfit for Office after it was revealed that he attempted to force the hands of the Police Service Commission – an independent constitutional body – to promote at least two police officers who are allegedly closely aligned to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government.
“The attempt to influence the work of the Police Service Commission is reprehensible and renders the President unfit to hold office and he should resign at once. This is a grave breach of the Constitution,” Harmon said in a statement.
Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Paul Slowe, on Monday morning, said the President, during a meeting on September 16, 2020 and in two subsequent phone calls, lobbied for Senior Superintendents Calvin Brutus and Fazil Karimbaksh to be promoted, and when his demands were rebuffed, he became irate.
The President, hours after, said the allegations were far from the truth, though not denying that he met with the Chairman of the Police Service Commission.
Weighing in on the issue, the Opposition Leader said the President’s statement appears incoherent, erratic and irresponsible.
“The APNU+AFC Coalition views the allegations made by Mr. Slowe, of political interference on the part of Mr. Ali as exceptionally serious and egregious. These allegations warrant independent and perhaps international investigation. Such interference is not provided for in the Constitution of Guyana nor should it be acceptable in any democracy,” the Opposition Leader said.
He said the Opposition said the PPP/C’s “dictatorial and totalitarian behavior” ought not go unnoticed.
He said President’s Ali actions are in clear breach of the Constitution.
“The damning statements made by Mr. Slowe have revealed that the installed President has, improperly and in breach of the Constitution, sought to influence the work of the Police Service Commission with the aim of procuring promotion of certain questionable officers of the Guyana Police Force.
Ali’s actions threaten both the independence and existence of constitutional bodies and are consistent with the anti-democratic nature of the installed PPP regime. The people of Guyana will not allow this travesty.”
The Opposition Leader is therefore calling on the Chairman and Prime Ministers of CARICOM, foreign governments, international and multi-national financial agencies, the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take note of these worrying developments in Guyana.
