Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), David Patterson, has accused the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government of attempting to “buy” the votes of the members of the Disciplined Services through mass promotions ahead of the September 1 Elections.

Last week, President Irfaan Ali announced the unexpected promotion of 2,000 junior ranks of the Police Force. Since then, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that an additional 800 ranks will be promoted.

At a press conference on Friday, the AFC Chairman, David Patterson, said the Government’s intention is clear.

“From all accounts, the PPP Government and the Vice President shamelessly wants to buy the 3,000 or so Police votes by this unmasked promotion. This administrative arrangement will do massive harm to the meritocracy in the Force,” Patterson told reporters.

The promotions come with significant salary increases for some ranks.

According to President Ali, Constables with eight to ten years of service will be promoted to the rank of Corporal and will receive the highest salary scale within that rank, while ranks with ten to thirteen years of service will be promoted to Sergeant, and those with service spanning 13 to 15 years will be retained as Sergeants, but be moved to the highest level of the salary scale for Sergeants.

The promotions have taken place as the Disciplined Services head to the polls on the 22nd August, ahead of the rest of the country.

The Government views the promotions as an acknowledgment of the years of dedication and sacrifice that many ranks have given to the nation.

 But the AFC thinks otherwise. The party Chairman said it is an act of interference, and the current Government is known to be prone to interfering in the work of the Police Force.

 “Among the arms of the government, the police are the most prone to executive control and the PPP’s method through the instrumentality of the Vice President is now to acquire complete control over the police,” the AFC Chairman said.

Patterson said it is the Commissioner of Police who must initiate promotion of junior ranks based on merit and performance, and not act on the instructions of the President or the Vice President.

“The Constitution provides for a Police Service Commission to promote senior officers, and the Police Act provides for ranks below to be promoted by the Commissioner of Police, not by the Vice President to promote any category,” he said.

Patterson contends that the actions of the PPP/C Government have set the Police Force back into a state of “political partisanship”.

Promising to improve the management and operations of both the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force, the AFC has promised that a Government under its leadership would see the minimum wage in the Disciplined Services being increased to $250,000 per month with other salary increases.

The Alliance For Change is also promising a more transparent Police Force with oversight bodies and independent boards to consider promotions based on merit.

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