By Nicole Telford- Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has called Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s directive to the Guyana Police Force “hypocritical.”
Speaking with Village Voice News, Norton said Jagdeo’s directive reeks of manifestation of incompetence. The opposition leader was responding to the vice president’s claim that the placement of the Spanish emblem “policia” on the vehicles of the Guyana Police Force was a misguided act of the police administration.
The opposition leader said “it should not have been there in the first place and from the time the Government of Guyana saw it they should have said no to it, but they didn’t.”
Delving further, Norton stated that “it is a clear indication that Jagdeo was probably part of the decision because he is now saying they can put spanish in smaller font. That is nonsense; there is no need for anything but Police in english on the vehicles.”
Jagdeo said placement of the emblem is misguided and the Police should have never put “Policia” there.
“It is not the emblem, it’s just the name, it’s still our emblem, the Guyana Police Force, but they put policia in spanish, and they were instructed to change that. They must put Police, they can put in small letters policia, in portuguese and spanish, etc”, he said.
However, the opposition leader countered that “we are witnessing the vice president throwing the blame squarely at the feet of the Guyana Police Force.”
There is noticeable silence from the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Irfaan Ali, since the saga of
“Policia” being placed on vehicles and even the police stations in some areas of Guyana.
Meanwhile Opposition Member of Parliament and former Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan has criticised the decision and called for the spanish word to be removed from the vehicles completely.
The leadership of Guyana Police Force has not said much on the issue, despite widespread public condemnation.
