UN officer meets parties on border controversy
VISITING United Nations envoy, Mr Oliver Jackman, yesterday commended the commitment and goodwill from the parliamentary parties to discussing the Venezuela/Guyana border controversy with him despite their many differences on other issues. "I am very pleased indeed that the government was able to get them (the parties) together so that the UN Good Officer has, not only the views of the government but also that of active political parties", he told reporters here. This followed the one-hour meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was the only comment Jackman, a veteran Barbadian diplomat, was prepared to give until a media briefing today. Foreign Minister, Mr Clement Rohee also deferred comment until today, except to say that the meeting went well. Here at Rohee's invitation, it is Jackman's first visit to these shores since assuming the office of `Good Officer' in the mediation of the century-old dispute late last year, following the resignation of his predecessor, Sir Alister McIntyre. It was his second meeting for the day, however, the first one being at 09:00 hrs with the executive of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). He was also scheduled to meet within the hour with members of the Joint Services. Like Jackman, who described his meeting with the politicians as "very valuable", co-Leader of the Working People's Alliance (WPA), Dr Rupert Roopnaraine said he found the exchange very useful in that it allowed Jackman "to get a sense of what all the parties in Parliament are thinking". He said such briefings should be convened more often and he was looking forward to the establishment in Parliament of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs which will make such exercises a matter of routine. Summarising the trend of their discussions, Roopnaraine said it centred generally on the whole `Good Officer' process, in that the parties outlined to Jackman what were their expectations, underscoring the fact that all the parliamentary parties in Guyana were united on the question of Venezuela's claim to two-thirds of the country. Guyana has rejected Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo. It was also drawn to the envoy's attention, Roopnaraine said, "that we continue to regret the fact that Venezuela, from time to time takes a very active and negative position in relation to investments in that part of our country, which is something we deplore". He feels that "whatever points of view we may each have in relation to this or that investment, it is not the business of people outside of Guyana to tell us where we should have investments and where we should not". Leader of The United Force (TUF), Mr Manzoor Nadir, said while his party's position is standard in that it stands by the Geneva Accord of 1899, it is opposed, however, to the idea of a `Good Officer' process, a fact which he made very clear at the meeting. "The moment you come to the table, it is to bargain; to negotiate; to once again arbitrate", Nadir said, adding that it is only because Jackman is here that they are being courteous. Jackman, it was said, did not say much since he was new to the job, and as Nadir put it, "because of course he is a Good Officer and...a neutral person, refereeing this situation". Representing the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC) at the meeting were Mr Oscar Clarke and Mr Lance Carberry. The two countries have referred Venezuela's longstanding claim to the UN Good Officer process which is to recommend a mutually satisfactory solution. Jackman last Friday met Venezuela President Hugo Chavez who pledged to seek a peaceful solution to the controversy. (LINDA RUTHERFORD)
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