Dear Editor,
Local news reports informed the public that President Ramotar and the PPP/C government had no intention of appointing Leroy Brumell as Commissioner of Police, and that they have decided that he shall remain as acting Commissioner, but that he and Crime Chief Seelall Persaud should be promoted to the post of Deputy Commissioner.
If this is true then the President would have opened the door for all kinds of speculation and rumour to linger, both in minds of ordinary Guyanese as well as the serving members of the Disciplined Forces. Why is it that Mr Brumell, the most senior officer in the GPF currently, who has been acting as top cop since former Commissioner Greene has been off the job, has not been confirmed as Commissioner?
This state of affairs, which now seems to be the modus operandi of the PPP/C regime, appears to suggest that merit and professional conduct have been replaced by what Americans refer to as ‘the spoils system.’ This is a system where public offices are reserved for the politicians’ favourites and preferred comrades, rather than filled on the basis of merit. Is Mr Brumell not competent enough to head the Guyana Police Force, which is desperately crying out for a leader to rekindle the public trust that has declined dramatically over recent years? I believe that should the President and the PPP/C insist on this unhelpful arrangement it might become even more difficult for the force to function in a coherent manner. Further, it may further deepen the suspicions about the President’s action and create more doubt in people’s minds about the government’s willingness to effectively tackle crime.
If Mr Brumell is the most qualified officer for the job given his seniority, etc, why put Mr Seelall to play ‘catch up’ with him? For the record I do not have a view which is negative or otherwise of Mr Seelall; my issue is solely with the principles involved and I hope that those in authority would have the capacity to appreciate that. How we structure the Guyana Police Force and what the government does is all Guyana’s business.
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor
