Academic and constitutional lawyer Harold Lutchman has said that the conflict of interest created when union leader Patrick Yarde was appointed as acting head of the Public Service Commission (PSC) shows that a need exists for discussion and possible amendment to the constitutional requirement for membership to the body.
Lutchman, who chaired the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Guyana’s public service, noted that since Yarde is the head of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), he should have recused himself from the chairmanship of the PSC.
“The Public Service Commission holds the powers to appoint, promote and discipline. The question of possible bias will always be raised if those representing the workers are those arbitrating their cases,” Lutchman said. He likened the situation to a court case in which the lawyer for one side is also the judge.
