Her Excellency the Governor Elizabeth Carriere
Her Excellency the Governor Elizabeth Carriere called a short press conference on Wednesday to advice and ensure the public is aware of what public officers can and cannot do during an election campaign.
The Governor accompanied by Acting Deputy Governor Mrs. Lyndell Simpson said “According to our laws and constitution as well as general orders which are the guidelines for public officer behavior as you know every day the public comes into contact with public officers in their daily activities. So it’s good that the public can understand for themselves the professional and impartial conduct they can expect from public servants during this time.”
Governor Carriere says that although guidance information has already been disseminated within the public service. She feels the public “as a whole” has a right to know about the guidance as sets out in General Orders.
Acting Deputy Governor Mrs. Lyndell Simpson
“We want to be sure that the public is served well and appropriately by public officers during this period,” point out: “The key issue here is the need to maintain and being seen to maintain impartiality of the public service.”
Ag. Deputy Governor Simpson had the responsibility of spelling out the rules that concern public servants ahead of the January 30th by-election. She instructed that the rulels/guidelines “provide that officers are expressly forbidden to participate actively on behalf of any party or candidate in any election to the legislature. They are expressly forbidden to act as agents, sub-agents or canvas at election office…
“Coming out of this General Orders we would have at the time of the last general elections, advise the public and public officers of a number of guidelines that should guide their conduct during an election…” she added.
The Governor and Deputy Governor faced a surprised Montserrat media, which was fully represented by the active media houses who enquired whether her effort was not the function of the Electoral Commission.
The Governor said that she wanted to clarify for the public how public officers can behave during an election campaign.
What they expected the press to do? “It is completely up to the press whether beyond this discussion you with to take it further,” she responded, as they will now publish the guidelines on their website.
A short discussion ensued as the two, Governor and Deputy told that the public can send in complaints should they observe with their knowledge what to expect if public servants are breaking the guidelines.
A Question as to the purpose for speaking to the press on the matter resulted in a repeat of the effort to clarify or to remind the public and public servants of what was expected of them.
