KINGSTON, Jamaica –The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is contending that the recent appointment of Viralee Latibeaudiere to the post of financial secretary in the Ministry of Finance is “of grave concern” as there is no evidence that due process was employed.

The party, in a release today, said it appears that Latibeaudiere was handpicked by the Minister of Finance, Audley Shaw, bypassing the Public Service Commission (PSC), for this “very sensitive position, which demands a high level of competence and trust”.”This personal appointment represents a dangerous trend where successive Jamaica Labour Party administrations have bypassed the proper process required to appoint senior public sector leadership,” Opposition Spokesman on the Public Sector and Public Sector Modernisation, Lambert Brown was quoted as saying.“Minister Shaw seems to be usurping the role of the Public Service Commission, which is the only body with authority under the Constitution of Jamaica to make such an appointment”.According to Brown, Shaw’s unwarranted intrusion in the remit of the PSC is unacceptable and undermines the democratic tradition of impartial appointments to the public service.The Opposition said it is therefore, calling on Shaw to refrain from compromising the independence of the constitutionally appointed PSC, and that “any backdoor offer must be rescinded and the body vested with the appropriate authority allowed to do the necessary advertising for, interviews and appointment of the most suitable candidate”.