House debates PSC nominations on November 10

THE House of Representatives will sit on November 10 to debate a motion to approve the nominations of five people to become the new members of the Police Service Commission.

According to the Order Paper, this motion is filed in the Prime Minister's name.

Dr Rowley is scheduled to return home on Saturday after attending the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland and then meeting with energy multinationals Shell and BP in London.

The motion calls on the House to approve the nominations of retired Justice of Appeal Judith Jones, Maxine Attong, Ian Kevin Ramdhanie, Maxine King and Rajiv Persad as PSC members.

The motion said Section 122 (3) of the Constitution permits the President to nominate people to become members of the PSC after consultation with the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader. The motion adds that they must be qualified and experienced in the disciplines of law, finance, sociology or management to be PSC members.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has called on President Paula-Mae Weekes to refrain from appointing a new PSC until there can be clarity over events concerning the collapse of the commission in September.

The PSC's three members and its chairman Bliss Seepersad resigned over its handling of the appointment and suspension of former police commissioner Gary Griffith.

On October 21, the Electoral College (the combined membership of the House and Senate) rejected a motion filed by Persad-Bissessar to appoint a tribunal to investigate Weekes's removal from office.

Persad-Bissessar’s motion was in relation to events that led to the collapse of the PSC and the failure to send a merit list of candidates for a new Comissioner of Police to the House for consideration.

Wednesday's sitting begins at 1.30 pm.