Serving the Constitution

WE read in the article ‘ Officers told to serve Constitution, not government’ in The National on July 8 that Police Minister Bryan Kramer told a cadet passing out parade in Port Moresby the position (of police officers) is created in the Constitution and it is the Constitution you should serve.
He said he has observed many commissioners and senior officers talking about serving the Government.
A police officer is to serve the Constitution (which) serves the 8.5 million people of Papua New Guinea.
He said he plans “to stop political interference into the functions of the constabulary … so that officers can do their job as provided under the Constitution”.
Now that’s something the police in Fiji can certainly draw upon to enhance its professionalism in post-coup Fiji in light of the criticisms levelled against it by local civil society groups and international bodies like the ILO for the political persecution of trade unionists and critics of the government.

Rajend Naidu, Sydney