BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) — Opposition Leader Dr Denzil Douglas says the appointment of a former senior Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) official as national security advisor could lead to the politicising of the local security forces.
Douglas, speaking on a radio programme here, said Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris has abrogated the responsibilities of the police commissioner and the defence force commander through the appointment of Major General Stewart Saunders as national security adviser.
“The prime minister, in responding to people’s concerns with regard to Major General Stewart Saunders of the Jamaica Defence Force being appointed as national security adviser, said in the National Assembly that Saunders will not be a part of the police force and security forces generally and will not give any directive or any instruction to the commissioner of police (COP) or the commander of the Defence Force.
“What Timothy Harris said to us in parliament and to the nation is that the major general will advise Harris and then, on advising Harris, Harris will then direct the commissioner of police and the commander of the defence force.
“In other words, Harris has abrogated the responsibilities of the commissioner and the commander through a national security advisor; that is what we have been saying all along. The police have been politicised,” Douglas told radio listeners.
He said the prime minister, through the appointment, was now not trusting the judgement of the Police High Command, and that the appointment has “undermined the leadership of the Royal St Christopher and Nevis Police Force”.
“I am confident in my mind that Dr Harris wants COP (Ian Queeley) to fail, because he has a sinister plan that after the probationary two-year period is up, he is going to fire Queeley. That is what he is leading to. That is why he has brought in the adviser.
“That is why he is going to say at the end of the probationary period that the adviser (Saunders) advised him that Queeley has failed. I am certain in my mind that if Harris did not want Queeley to fail, he would not have done all these things that we know he has done since Queeley has been there,” said Douglas.
In an official statement announcing the appointment of Saunders in June, the St Kitts-Nevis Government said that the retired army official gave “a firm commitment” that he would do all he can to reverse the trend of crime and violence in St Kitts and Nevis.
“The problem does not exist in St Kitts and Nevis alone, but it’s a wider Caribbean problem. Your concern, however, is for the State and I appreciate that very much, and I assure you that I shall do everything within my powers to ensure that this state is brought back to normality,” he said.
The Government statement noted that Saunders is a strategic security practitioner and educator with over 40 years of experience at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.
He retired as chief of defence staff of the Jamaica Defence Force in October 2010 and also served as a permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security.
“Major General Saunders has been highly recommended by the executive director of Caricom Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, as well as senior Government and military referees in Jamaica from the agencies where he has worked,” the statement added.
