Private Sectors urges Police to act impartially

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Wednesday urged the Guyana Police Force to act impartially and not under the direction of political actors.

Please see below full statement from the PSC.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has observed with increasing and grave concern instances where the Guyana Police Force seems to have been acting under direct political direction. In particular, members of the Commission and its Elections Observers witnessed the deliberate and forceful intervention of heavily armed Police in preventing the oversight of the Statements of Poll at GECOM by physically removing accredited political party representatives, accredited observers, including Private Sector observers, and the members of the media. This resulted in the exposure of the Statements of Poll to possible fraudulent alteration.

Further, the PSC cites the complete failure of the Police to prevent mass crowds of the governing party’s political supporters actively harassing and threatening accredited observers, party officials and Media professionals in the course of their respective functions both outside of GECOM and at other places.

The Commission further cites the most recent incident of Police Officers assaulting and attempting to arrest a GECOM Commissioner who was maintaining a legitimate presence to oversee the storage of ballot boxes in containers at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

The PSC has made numerous attempts to telephone the Commissioner of Police without success.

The PSC now calls upon the Commissioner of Police to execute his duties as head of the Guyana Police Force to ensure that every member of the Force acts in accordance with its mandate set out in Article 197 (4) of the Constitution of Guyana and the provisions of the Police Act, Cap. 16:01.

The PSC remains ready and available to engage the Commissioner on these matters.

In the circumstance, it is noteworthy to mention that the PSC as the apex private sector organisation represents the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce (Guyana), the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development, Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, Linden Chamber of Commerce, Forest Products Association of Guyana, Bartica Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana, Guycraft Producers Association, Guyana Association of Bankers, Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, Guyana Association of Private Security Organisations, Guyana Rice Exporters and Millers Association, Insitute of Private Enterprise Development, National Aquaculture Association of Guyana, National Air Transport Association, Rupununi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Shipping Association of Guyana, the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana, and 26 Corporate members which includes some of the largest Corporations in Guyana.