While dodging questions about whether he intends to extend the Acting Police Commissioner’s time in office as he reaches the retirement age this weekend, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday told News Source that he has not asked the acting Commissioner to proceed on leave, so as it is now, he remains the head of the Guyana Police Force.

“The Commissioner is there, and I have not sent him off, and he is not off the job, so he is the Commissioner”, President Ali told News Source.

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken reaches the retirement age of 55 on Saturday. He has never been fully confirmed in the position, but has been acting since in the post since March 2022, following the retirement of Nigel Hoppie who had also been acting in the position.

The Constitution of Guyana mandates the President to have meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and the Chairperson of the Police Service Commission before he could appoint a Commissioner of Police or Deputy Commissioners.

President Ali said he will be following the Constitutional requirements for the appointment of a substantive Commissioner of Police. The Police Service Commission is now fully constituted, with the recent appointment of the Public Service Commission. The Chairman of the Public Service Commission becomes a member of the Police Service Commission. When Hicken was appointed to act in the post, there was no Public Service Commission in place, and therefore the Police Service Commission was not properly constituted.

“The Police Service Commission is now fully constituted, based on the ruling of the Court. The Chairman of the Public Service Commission has to be a member. So, as the Constitution requires me to have some dialogue with the Chair of the Commission, I will be following all of what is required of me within the ambits of the Constitution”.

The Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, has already indicated that he will not be supporting any substantive appointment of Clifton Hicken as Police Commissioner.

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