By Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterOCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
THE ELECTION of a new chairman and general secretary of the Jamaica Police Federation scheduled for today, has been put on hold by Police Commissioner Francis Forbes following the voiding of the election of the Inspectors Branch Board by the Attorney-General's Department.
The election of officers for the Federation is usually one of the highlights of the Federation's annual conference which ends today at the Jamaica Grende Hotel in Ocho Rios, but the Commissioner said this cannot be done without having the members of the Inspectors Branch Board on the central executive of the Federation.
Mr. Forbes said that the election was voided by the Attorney-General's Department because of improper procedures. He denied reports that the decision to postpone today's election was an eleventh hour decision made on the eve of the Federation's 61st annual conference.
The Commissioner told delegates attending the conference yesterday that the file was sent to his office last Thursday, but he did not read it until Monday. It was at that time he realised that the election of the inspectors had been declared null and void, and he subsequently informed the executive of the Federation.
"What happened is that when the nomination for the Inspectors Branch Board was submitted, I'm told that only six nominations were received. As a consequence I think there is a miscalculation to the value and some people complained that they never had a chance to vote."
WRITTEN COMPLAINT
Commissioner Forbes said one of the inspectors had made a written complaint charging that he and other inspectors were disenfranchised. As a consequence that inspector resigned from the Inspectors Branch Board. "The statements were collected, all the rules and regulations were put together in a file and sent to the office of the Attorney-General," Forbes revealed.
The Commissioner said he too was of the view that the election process was too complex, and that frequently, the 'older heads try to manipulate the younger heads'.
He advised the inspectors to decide over the next couple of days the format of the election to choose their representatives and suggested that they even seek the assistance of the Director of Elections.
In the meantime, Commissioner Forbes said that members of the other ranks from constable to sergeants can go ahead and elect their branch board members who are to serve on the central executive.
