President tells Kamla: PSC nomination notice sent to Parliament

President Paula-Mae Weekes on Sunday has set out to correct a claim by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar that Parliament was not notified about a nominee to be appointed to the Police Service Commission (PSC).

In a statement on Saturday, Persad-Bissessar referred to a release from the Office of the President earlier that day which said, "There is a notification which is with Parliament at this time."

Persad-Bissessar said, "This is categorically not true. There is no notification with Parliament. In any event, the law provides that before any notification is sent to Parliament, Her Excellency (President Paula-Mae Weekes) is obligated under law to first consult with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. To date, no such consultation has taken place with me as Leader of the Opposition."

She added, "Her Excellency appears to be once again falling into legal error.”

In an emailed response to the media, the Office of the President said it stood by and reiterates its position that a notification is with Parliament at this time.

"Her Excellency issued a notification dated June 10, 2020 in respect of Mr Vincel Edwards as a nominee for member of the Police Service Commission in compliance with Section 122 (4). It was sent to Parliament by the secretary to the President on the same day June 10, 2020 for debate by the House of Representatives.”

The President’s office said, "Moreover, the notification was sent to Parliament only after consultation, by letter of June 5, 2020, with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition as stipulated by the Constitution."

The Office of the President added, "It is our understanding, that the Leader of Government Business having given a directive during the last sitting of Parliament that the notification be placed on the Order Paper for the next sitting, that the notification is currently with the Clerk of the House for placing on the Order Paper."

There are no scheduled sittings for either the House of Representatives or the Senate this week.

In her statement, Persad-Bissessar said, "The resignation of Dr Susan Craig-James from the PSC, coupled with the recent resignation of Courtney McNish, means that the commission has collapsed as it is now inquorate.

She said, "The authors of this shameful debacle which plunged the Police Service and the nation into a constitutional crisis must be held to account."

Persad-Bissessar called upon commission chairman Bliss Seepersad and member Roger Kawalsingh to resign immediately.