PPP, APNU jostle over Disciplined Services for votes

Last Updated on Sunday, 10 August 2025, 10:23 by Writer

Incumbent President Irfaan Ali on Saturday said his People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) has a right to campaign for votes for the Disciplined Services as they prepare to vote in general and regional elections on August 22 ahead of the rest of the population on September 1.

“Don’t tell me that I don’t have a duty to call on our hard working men and women in uniform because, they too, have a democratic right that they will exercise on the 22nd and when they exercise that democratic right, they must know who stood for them, who stood with them and who will stand with them to ensure that they have a stronger future,” he said.

Reacting to criticisms of the promotion process by A Partnership for National Unity presidential candidate Aubrey Norton, Dr Ali told a rally in Bartica that his administration deserved a right to be heard based on its track record in improving salaries and conditions of work as well as last week’s “largest promotion of police” officers in the history of the Commonwealth, a 56-nation grouping of former British colonies. “This is the government you must support for a brighter future,” he told the well-attended rally.

Dr Ali reminded police officers, soldiers, prison service personnel and firefighters that the then A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration between 2015 and 2020 had stopped the one-month year-end bonus salary. “They never ever even apologised for taking away what the PPP Civic gave you,” he said.

APNU is offering a 35 percent increase in salaries to members of the Disciplined Services, public sector workers, teachers and nurses.

The APNU has also vowed to remove Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and professionalise the police force to allow that law enforcement agency to carry out its duties without political interference. “In fact, we believe if the police is allowed to do their work, they will do it properly,” APNU presidential candidate Aubrey Norton told a public meeting in Ithaca, West Coast Berbice on Saturday night.

For its part, the AFC is promising two months’ tax-free salary every year as a Christmas bonus to all members of the Disciplined Services, one-month tax-free salary as Christmas bonus to civilian Guyana Defence Force personnel, an additional GY$50,000 tax-free allowance to every serviceman and woman stationed at the borders, and a GY$100,000 national cash grant to all members of the Disciplined Services.

In terms of promotions, the AFC said if it is voted into office the process will follow clear, transparent rules by independent Boards to consider promotions on merit and not political connections. That party also said there will be cross-party oversight panels to guide all promotion and advancement decisions. “You’ll rise through the ranks based on performance, service, and leadership,” the AFC says.

Additionally, the AFC is pledging one-off payments of GY$10 million to the family of any officer who dies in the line of duty, GY$5 million to officers who suffer permanent injury or disability on the job and GY$2.5 million to those who suffer permanent disability while off duty.