Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., says President Dr. Irfaan Ali has already written to Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed to begin constitutionally required consultations on appointments to key national commissions.
Speaking on his weekly programme, “Issues in the News,” Nandlall said the issue was raised at the President’s press conference, where Ali made it clear that he would engage the Opposition Leader wherever the Constitution requires him to do so.
According to Nandlall, three letters were dispatched to the Opposition Leader on July 24, 2026, through Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira. He said the letters were sent to initiate consultative engagements required under the Constitution in relation to appointments to important commissions.
The Attorney General said one letter informed the Opposition Leader of the President’s intention to appoint members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), whose term had expired. He said the process has already begun for the appointment of a new commission.
Nandlall said the letter required meaningful consultation with the Opposition Leader on certain appointments to the Judicial Service Commission and was prepared in keeping with the constitutional requirements.
A second letter, he said, dealt with appointments to the Public Service Commission (PSC), while a third concerned appointments to the Local Government Commission (LGC) under the Local Government Commission Act of 2013.
Nandlall said the letters were “carefully crafted” in accordance with the constitutional and legal stipulations, including timelines for the Opposition Leader’s response and for the President’s likely decision on the appointments.
The Attorney General said the Opposition Leader acknowledged receipt of all three letters and informed Minister Teixeira that Opposition Chief Whip Tabitha Sarabo-Halley would respond to the correspondence.
According to Nandlall, Sarabo-Halley replied to all three letters. In relation to the Judicial Service Commission and the Public Service Commission, he said the response was only an acknowledgement of receipt.
However, he said three names were submitted in relation to the Local Government Commission consultation.
“So in the Local Government Commission consultation, three names came,” Nandlall said, while noting that for the other two commissions, only acknowledgements were received.
The Attorney General also disclosed that the Police Service Commission must be appointed, and that work is ongoing to compile suitably qualified persons so the consultation process for that constitutional commission can begin.
Nandlall rejected claims that the President was refusing to comply with the Constitution or laws requiring consultation with the Opposition Leader.
“Those who are peddling misleading information out there, that the president is refusing to comply with the constitution or the relevant statutory provisions that require him to consult with the leader of the opposition, they should stop peddling that type of misinformation, because these processes are ongoing,” Nandlall said.
