By Khaila Gentle

GEORGETOWN, Cayo District, Tues. June 14, 2022

Senior Police Superintendent Daniel Arzu, following his victory in the Georgetown village council elections this week, is set to become the new Georgetown village council chairman. But Arzu, who was nominated as an independent candidate in his home village earlier this month, is not expected to retire from his position as the Police Department’s Southern Regional Commander until later this year, according to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams.

When Arzu’s plans to vie for the village council chairman post were first announced, the legality of the senior officer’s candidacy came under some scrutiny, due to what was seen as a potential conflict of interest. Those concerns, however, were dismissed by Commissioner Williams, who had noted that, since Arzu is an independent candidate and is not aligned with any political party, he was completely free to run. 

The Police Commissioner had also suggested that by the time Supt. Arzu possibly became the Georgetown village council chairman, he would have already been retired.

“Mr. Arzu is proceeding on pre-retirement leave very shortly. For the most part, if he were to be elected the chairman of Georgetown, he would not be a police officer. He would be out by then,” he had stated.

Previously, The Minister of Public Service, Hon. Henry Charles Usher, had told News5 earlier this month that, under Section 60 (2) of the Public Service Regulations, public officers are allowed participation in village council elections because “village councils are, by their very nature, they should be neutral.”

When approached by local reporters this week about whether the fact that village council elections have recently been politicized will result in a change in that policy, COMPOL Williams stated that it is a matter for the Public Service Minister and his C.E.O.