The Opposition today sent out a release blasting the government for not hiring an Ombudsman or a Contractor General after 7 months in office. According to the PUP release, it goes directly against the UDP’s pledge of transparency and accountability. Public Service Minister John Saldivar today confirmed that his Government is in the process of filling both posts and scrutinizing applications closely.
As for the Contractor General, that’s all but a done deal as only the details of the contract are now being finalized. We have heard that the new man for the post will be Godwin Arzu, from the Attorney General’s Ministry.
As for the Ombudsman, that one is not so clear. Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb McKenzie had been rumored for the post months ago but that talk has been cooled off and it’s not clear that there’s any other applicant who meets the qualification. Saldivar would only say that they are studying that issue very closely.
As for the politics of it, Saldivar said that if his government had handpicked supporters waiting to fill the posts as did the PUP, those posts would have already been filled.
