In a move widely condemned as a blatant attempt to sway votes ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections, President Irfaan Ali has unilaterally announced the promotion of over 2,000 ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) — a decision that bypasses established procedures and constitutional authority.
Under existing protocols, the promotion of junior ranks up to Sergeants is based on the recommendation of the Commissioner or other senior officers to the Administrative Department of the Police Force, which is usually headed by an Assistant Commissioner, who makes the decision to promote or not promote based on record and merit. The Police Service Commission (PSC) handles promotions above Sergeants such as Inspector, Assistant Superintendent to Senior Superintendent to Assistant Commissioner.
The President, by law, is only involved in appointing the Commissioner of Police— and even then, only after consulting the Leader of the Opposition. The political directorate has no legal authority for promotions within the Force.
President Ali has however moved ahead and issued sweeping promotions that span the lower and middle ranks of the Force. The promotions include:
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Constables with 5–7 years of service and no disciplinary issues will be promoted to Lance Corporal and placed at the top of that pay scale.
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Current Lance Corporals will receive the highest salaries within that rank.
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Constables with 8–10 years of service will be promoted to Corporal, with maximum salary.
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Corporals with 8–10 years of service will move to the top of the corporal scale.
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Ranks with 10–13 years of service will be promoted to Sergeant. Those with 13–15 years will remain Sergeants but receive the top salary in the grade.
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Officers with over 20 years of service and a clean record who have not yet reached Inspector will be automatically promoted and salaried as Inspectors.
A senior police officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, blasted the move as a dangerous breach of norms and further proof of political capture. “This is a violation of established authority. The Force is no longer independent — it is being run from the Office of the President,” the officer said. “The failure to promote these officers earlier rests with Hicken, who’s been acting Commissioner since 2022.”
The officer added that the spectacle following the promotions was equally troubling. “What’s even more shameful is that ranks were made to publicly thank the President — as if he alone bestowed this favour upon them. It’s as if the Force’s years of neglect were erased and the President needed his ego stroked. That is not democracy. That’s dangerous.”
Even the timing of the announcement has sparked criticism. August 1 — Emancipation Day, the date that commemorates the end of chattel slavery in 1838 — was the chosen day for the announcement.
“Whether ironic or intentional, it sends a chilling message,” the officer noted. “Instead of emancipation, we’re witnessing submission — a declaration that the Guyana Police Force no longer serves the public but answers to one man. The President has made it clear: the Force exists at his pleasure.”
Observers say the move reflects not only a deep politicisation of the security sector but a cynical attempt to buy loyalty and votes in the final stretch before elections. As one former officer remarked, “This isn’t reform. This is control.”
The promotions, while welcomed by some within the ranks long denied advancement, have reignited urgent questions about democratic backsliding, the erosion of institutional independence, and the use of state power for political gain.
