Dear Editor,
I wish to respond to a letter which was published in the Stabroek News of June 3rd, 2021 by Mr. Carvil Dun-can under the caption “Mr. Harmon is singing a new tune from his previous incarnation when he was a willing collaborator seeking to oust me”.
In the letter under reference above, mention was made by Mr. Duncan of an article published in the Guyana Chronicle of April 19th, 2016 under the headline “Government wants Duncan out”.
Reference was also made to meetings of the Public Service Commis-sion, a Constitutional body, on which I served as a member. The writer of the article stated that Mr. Mohamed Akeel, Commissioner got sick in 2016 and was not attending meetings of the Commission. He said too and I quote “The Commission was only left with two members, Mr. Patrick Yarde and Ms. Patricia Went, both of whom were nominees from the GPSU and Mr. Yarde then elected himself as the Chairman of the Commission and then proceed to occupy my office…”, end of quote.
Editor, Mr. Duncan’s remarks on this issue are grossly inaccurate, dishonest, misleading and scandalous since it was at a meeting of the Public Service Commission held on 17th January, 2017 where four members of the Commission were in attendance: – Mr. Patrick Yarde, Ms. Patricia Went, Ms. Vedyawattie Looknauth and Mr. Mohamed Akeel, where a decision was taken on Mr. Yarde’s nomination as Deputy Chairperson. He was elected without dissent as the Deputy Chairperson.
Article 200 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana states:
“The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Commission shall be elected by and from the members of the Commission using such consensual mechanism as the Commission deems fit”.
After all criteria were satisfied Mr. Yarde was elevated to the position of Chairperson acting. He was sworn in at State House by His Excellency David Granger on May 4th, 2017 in accordance with Article 200 (5) of the Constitution of Guyana which states:
“If the office of Chairperson of the Public Service Commission is vacant or the holder thereof is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, then the holder of the office of Deputy Chairperson or if that office is vacant or the holder thereof is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office of Chairperson, one of the other members may/ be elected to act in the office of Chairperson…”.
Mr. Duncan’s claim that the Commis-sion was only left with two members Mr. Patrick Yarde and Ms. Patricia Went was also totally dishonest and inaccurate. There were four members of the Commis-sion as mentioned above with the subsequent resignation of Ms Looknauth, leaving three members remaining. No meeting was ever held without a quorum. The Minutes of meetings are there to substantiate this fact.
It is hoped that this clears the air on this matter as Mr. Duncan painted a deceptive and notoriously scandalous picture of the Commission.
Patricia Went
Former Commissioner Public
Service Commission
