253.31—Authority of appointing officers; methods of filling vacancies.
(a)
Appointing officers of an agency shall effect personnel actions in accordance with the regulations in this part.
(b)
In his discretion an appointing officer may fill any position either by competitive appointment from a Panama Canal Employment System register, by appointment or position change of a present or former Federal employee through noncompetitive action in accordance with the regulations in this part, or, when authorized under § 253.43, by temporary appointment. Except as otherwise provided in the regulations in this part, the appointing officer shall exercise his discretion in all personnel actions solely on the basis of merit and fitness. In determining merit and fitness of any person, there shall be no discrimination on the basis of nationality or citizenship, religious or political affiliations, marital status, physical handicap, race, color, sex, age, or national origin.