The government is moving ahead with plans to shake up the top echelon of the public service with a new Chairman of the Public and Police Service Commissions (PSC) to be announced soon.

Current Chairman Cecil ‘Blazer’ Williams is coming to the end of his final two-year stint in charge of that constitutional body. He was appointed as Chairman in 2001 following the Unity Labour Party success at the March 28th general elections of that year.

The Prime Minister announced that his replacement has been identified. The unnamed individual is currently serving on the Commission.

In a radio presentation, the Prime Minister said he is in the process of formally consulting Leader of the Opposition Dr Godwin Friday, President of the Public Service Union (PSU) Mr Elroy Boucher and Chairman of the Police Welfare Association, Cpl Lez Harry.

Following a string of court cases where the PSC was found by the court to have broken the rules relating to the promotion of public officers, Dr Friday had called on the PSC members to be replaced.

President of the PSU, Elroy Boucher, also told a press conference last year that the PSC should be replaced based on a matter which he was called as a witness saying then:

“That is a very serious issue given the extent and gravity of the judgment that was handed down against the commission.”

However, from the initial public statements so far, the Prime Minister has only announced the departure of the Chairman while promoting one of the members who is associated with the string of administrative blunders made by the body.