Deputy Commissioners of Police:Stephen Williams, James Ewatski and Maurice Piggott
The PSC chose former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer Neal Parker, who was at the top of the merit list comprising five names.
It's the second time in as many years that the Parliament has thrown out the top nominee. In 2008 the People's National Movement (PNM) used its majority in Parliament to reject the recommendation to appoint Stephen Williams as CoP.
The opposition United National Congress (UNC) supported Williams, whose name appeared fifth on the new list that was before Parliament on Friday.
In rejecting Parker, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told the Parliament that the decision was based on an apparent conflict of interest.
"Having participated as a member of the selection committee in the 2008 process, the public perception of him enjoying an unfair advantage is one that may have some legitimacy.
"We know the maxim all too well that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done," she said.
The Parliament also approved the nominations of Williams, Maurice Piggott and Canadian, Jack Ewatski as Deputy Commissioners of Police.
Williams and Piggott won unanimous approval, but the PNM abstained on Ewatski.
According to the law when the Parliament rejects the number one choice, it must meet again to consider the second name on the list. In this case all of the top four names are foreigners.
The second ranked nominee is Dwayne Gibbs, another Canadian. But Gibbs also participated in the 2008 selection process and the prime minister has stated that she will not alter the government's position.
"It is my understanding that there may be another candidate who was also a member of the selection committee in the 2008 selection process and is now a candidate after the 2010 selection process," Persad Bissessar told Parliament.
"On principle, the position of the Government remains the same. If such a candidate were to be nominated for approval by this House, we would not support such a nomination.
"Any person who was involved in the 2008 selection process as an assessor who turns up now as a candidate for the post will be rejected by the Government. And my understanding is that it would be the same from the Opposition benches," she stated.
Persad-Bissessar also stated the the government and the opposition have met and found common ground on the selection process on the need for reform.
However she stated that in the interim the current law remains as the standard by which the country will appoint a police chief.
"We agreed that the current process is costly, cumbersome and complicated," she said, adding that a joint team of Government and Opposition members have agreed to start discussions with a view to reviewing the entire process.
The Prime Minister noted that there are two critical issues that need attention: the issue of the use of foreign consultants and assessors and the need to ensure that "we as a nation draw on our locals to see whether a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago is suitably qualified for the job".
However she gave the assurance that there will be a Commissioner of Police and deputy Commissioners of Police.
"We have taken the position jointly that we would respect the law and obey the law in terms of the process, until such time as we can change the law...We cannot afford that there is no Commissioner of Police whilst another two or three-year process takes place."
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