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Dr. Audrey Gittens-Gilkes. (IWN file photo)
Dr. Audrey Gittens-Gilkes. (IWN file photo)
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A Permanent Secretary broke the Civil Service rules when she represented the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) last week at a meeting with the Supervisor of Election, Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace says.

Eustace did not identify the permanent secretary when he spoke of the issue at a New Democratic Party rally in Layou on Saturday.

However, I-Witness News understands that it is Audrey Gittens-Gilkes, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Housing and deputy chair of the ULP.

Gittens-Gilkes is also an executive member of the ULP’s women’s arm.

Eustace noted that the meeting was of the Supervisor of Election and political parties, adding that he, along with Central Kingstown MP, St. Clair Leacock, and Sen. Linton Lewis, represented the NDP.

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“But a permanent secretary was on the delegation of the ULP delegation. She had no right there. That is against the rule, and she should therefore not be working today,” Eustace said.

“The Civil Service does not provide for that, because you are supposed to be independent when you are a civil servant, not come there as part of a party for discussions with other parties,” he added.

“That matter, we are going to deal with. We cannot continue to have those kinds of things in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. That is part of the reason for our underdevelopment we have right now, where people are just getting favours, whether they can work or not. That got to change! Has to change!” he said.

7 replies on “Permanent secretary broke rules by representing ULP at meeting — Eustace”

  1. C. ben-David says:

    This is an egregious example of conflict of interest, political interference in administrative matters, an assault on the necessity of keeping the civil service impartial and indifferent to political policy, etc.

    Eustace is correct that this kind of crap is why we continue to be poor, backward, and underdeveloped.

    In a modern progressive Firsf World country — indeed even in SVG under Crown colony rule — this crap could never happen. Or, if did happen people would lose their jobs or even go to jail.

    Don’t blame or punish the woman: she was sent to the meeiting by her political handlers. She should have refused, of course, if she had any sense of morality but then she would have been fired or demoted for doing the right thing.

    As I always say — and for which people say I am an unpatriotic Vincie hater — welcome to the Third World’s third world.

    That we just yawn or shrug our shoulders when we hear about such behaviour only reveals how corrupt we all are.

  2. Lipstick red, glasses red, red dots on shirt, even glasses red. Muddawuk. Well miss lady you ready for them. Who knows maybe she just likes the color red and she is really a strong NDP supporter.

  3. petergriffin says:

    What do you expect from corrupt leaders?Can anyone other civil servant so openly support the NDP without being victimised?Hans King and Elson Crick and company would have a field day on star fm if any civil servant so openly support the NDP but as Hans King said,its not free for all.Luther Bonadie if I owned this site I would not post any of the crap that you usually write.You are so biased.Wrong is wrong and you must admit it even though you are a supporter or a worshipper of Ralph Gonsalves.A day of reckoning is coming.

  4. Right on c. Ben and Peter. The SVG civil service has been turned into the SVG ULP Service. As de man said MUDDERWUK how dotish can this high level civil servant be? What grounds for messing up the civil service!

    Vinci Vin

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