GDF can support police but not lead

Dear Editor,

There is a reason why the military in any country is treated, even in the law, as separate from civilians. I saw the acting Chief of Staff participating in two events this week which I considered to be unnecessarily exposing the GDF. One, was as a part of a panel for a Press Conference on the protest, and making a presentation too, I think; and the second was his comment while on a visit to protest areas in West Coast Berbice on Thursday 9 September, along with the acting Commissioner of Police and others.

The acting Chief of Staff in his comment stated that the Guyana Defence Force will do its best to ensure that there is law and order in the country. I wish to remind the Chief of Staff, that the role of the Guyana Defence Force is to support the Guyana Police Force on internal matters, such as unrest, but not in any way, to take the lead, except in special cases, of which the current situation is not. In cases such as civil unrest, etc. where the GDF has reasons to be involved, as in this case, as a part of a Joint Services assignment, the army ought to be the silent supporter.

The lead role, even as spokespersons in cases such as these, is for the Minister of

Public Security, as the policymaker and the Commissioner of Police who has operational and other direct responsibility to maintain law and order, relative to internal affairs. As well as the Minister of Legal Affairs, whose role is essentially to explain the law relative to policy, etc in cases such as these, and in a balanced way, as the chief legal officer for the entire country and representing every citizen and moreso as Attorney General.

As I am on this, I read somewhere, it was mentioned that the army will play a greater role in development, but even in that case, the army must be strategically involved. The army, is, the army! Our Guyana Defence Force, I must say, is still one of the most respected and trusted institutions in our country; keeping it that way would require the army, sticking to the principles and values upon which the military is built. The general perception of members of the GDF, is, that, you see them around and know that they are there, but somehow, they are still not there, and that’s professionalism!

Yours faithfully, Audreyanna Thomas