Yarde sworn-in as acting Chairman of Public Service Commission
Trade Unionist Patrick Yarde was yesterday sworn in by President David Granger as the acting Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC).
A statement from the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday noted that this automatically makes him an ex-officio member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the Police Service Commission and the Guyana Defence Force Commission’s Board.
The swearing-in ceremony, which the statement said accorded with Article 200 (5) of the Constitution, was held at State House in the presence of Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and members of the PSC.
President Granger explained, according to the release, that since the removal of the previous Chairman, Carvil Duncan, its work has been lagging. “It ought not to be delayed further because the function of the Public Service Commission and the Judicial Service Commission has been affected… This is entirely in accordance with the requirement of an efficient Government that the work of those four boards should not be delayed or paralysed any further,” he said.
Granger added that his Administration is confident that this new appointment is a step in the right direction, which will result in the efficient functioning of the four commissions.
In an invited comment, Yarde said that he is pleased to have been asked to serve in this new position and assured that he will perform the duties of his office in accordance with the Constitution. Yarde is currently embroiled in a raging controversy in his union, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) over recent acrimonious elections.
A rival candidate is claiming that he won the election for the presidency of the GPSU though Yarde has been declared the official winner.
In October last year, acting in accordance with Article 225 (6) of the Constitution, the President ordered the suspension of Duncan as PSC Chairman pending the outcome of the proceedings of the Tribunal, which was set up to inquire, investigate and recommend whether he ought to be removed from office for inability to discharge the functions of his Constitutional posts.