Rowley: Firing clearly warranted

In a media release, Rowley said the President’s revocation of Mohammed’s appointment was “clearly warranted.”

“The circumstances of the removal of the Chairman of the Police Service Commission clearly warranted the intervention of His Excellency the President in the protection of the public interest,” Rowley said. “The call for the action was consistently made by the Opposition and the majority of informed and concerned citizens of the country.” Rowley took the opportunity to argue a theoretical point on the nature of the Office of the President.

“The Opposition, as hitherto stated, always remained confident that the constitutional provisions contained under the authority of the Presidency can and should be used to contribute to the improvement and sustenance of the governance of the country,” Rowley said.

While Mohammed’s appointment has been revoked, Rowley nonetheless signalled the Opposition’s intention to push the matter even further in Parliament. Rowley and Opposition Chief Whip Marlene McDonald missed last week’s sitting of Parliament – when the Nizam Mohammed issue came up – due to the fact that they were both in Florida on official business.

“It is the view of the Opposition that this issue should continue to attract the intervention of the Parliament and as such, the motion filed today (yesterday) will provide an opportunity for the representatives of the people to fully debate and bring proper closure to an emotive matter which has had the effect of disturbing the national equilibrium, largely as a result of the behaviour of an office holder who improperly appointed himself as a crusader against perceived racial discrimination in the Police Service,” he said.