http://www.newsday.co.tt/editorial.php

The decision of Prime Minister Manning to personally hand over the letter appointing Mr Everald Snaggs Commissioner of Police has left many citizens in no doubt about Mr Manning’s intention with respect to how things are to be run under his watch.

According to reports Mr Ken Lalla, Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) is quoted as saying that this has never been done before. It is the PSC that appoints the Commissioner of Police and the PSC has always handed over the letter of appointment to the appointee. One must assume that the letter to Mr Snaggs came from the PSC and was signed by Mr Lalla. How then did it get into Mr Manning’s hand? Did he ask for it, so that there would be a photo opportunity so that the media and the whole country could see him handing over the letter to Mr Snaggs? Was the intention to send a message that it was Mr Manning who had appointed Mr Snaggs?

Mr Manning has a duty and a responsibility to tell the country how this happened and why it happened, since the PSC is the constitutionally authorised institution for appointing the Commissioner of Police, not the Prime Minister, not the Minister of National Security, not the Cabinet not the Government. There is more than a touch of political game playing in this entire episode. First of all we had the decision to appoint Mr Snaggs merely to act — a decision that denied him the status of authority and control at a time when it was most urgently needed in the face of so much crime.

Secondly, there was the length of time it took to make Mr Snaggs Commissioner of Police. Thirdly, it has been weeks since the PSC, as is required by the Constitution, wrote to the Prime Minister of its intention to appoint Mr Snaggs and asked Mr Manning whether he had any objection. It took Mr Manning weeks to make up his mind and then he takes over with a grand show at his Whitehall office handing over the letter to Mr Snaggs. Mr Lalla was not even invited. We agree with UNC Senator Wade Mark that this was entirely wrong and unacceptable. Mr Manning as Prime Minister and Mr Martin Joseph as Minister of National Security had no place in the handing of that letter to Mr Snaggs. We would like some answers Mr Manning.