Gov’t unsure of attendance at UK conference -spokesman
Issues still to be worked out
Stabroek News
June 21, 2003
The Government is sending out mixed signals about whether it will attend the conference being organised by the United Kingdom government from July 7-10.
On the one hand the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon told yesterday’s Catholic Standard, “we have said categorically to the sponsors that for a variety of circumstances which they well know the government will not be engaged, supporting or participating in that conference.” Yesterday, Information Liaison to the President Robert Persaud told Stabroek News that the government had not yet made a decision.
Meanwhile, an official at the British High Commission confirmed that it was yet to receive a response from the government.
After his comments to Stabroek News, Persaud later issued a statement in which he said that the Government’s initial reservation about its participation in the conference remained unchanged. The statement added that the government and the British High Commissioner, Stephen Hiscock were in discussion “to address the government’s concerns which include lack of prior consultation as well as the focus and objective of the Conference.”
Persaud’s statement said, “The Guyana government has and will always support non-governmental, local and international, attention and support, which can have a positive impact on the domestic political and economic environment. Also, the government continues to value the support rendered and the interest shown by the British Government in Guyana’s development.”
Stabroek News understands that the conference was first suggested in October by then Secretary for the UK Department for International Development, Clare Short while the political impasse between the two parties seemed at the time intractable. The government welcomed the idea as it was then seeking to enlist the aid of friendly governments and international agencies to help in resolving the political impasse.
Persaud told Stabroek News that if the government decided not to participate then the government officials invited would not be attending. Among these officials are Colonel Edward Collins of the Guyana Defence Force, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix and Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine.
Following the election of Robert Corbin as successor to the late PNCR Leader Desmond Hoyte and the subsequent initiation of the constructive engagement between Corbin and President Jagdeo, the tension between the two parties and in the country eased significantly.
However the British Government has already moved ahead with the organisation of the conference and invited a number of persons in their private capacity, among whom are Steve Surujbally, Chairman of the Elections Commission, Elections Commissioner, Haslyn Parris, former chairman of the Elections Commission, Maj Gen (rtd) Joe Singh, and UG Economics Professor, Dr Clive Thomas.
The other participants include UK government ministers, Guyanese-born, Baroness Amos, and David Lammy, who was born of Guyanese parents, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Shridath Ramphal, Chairman of the UK Council for Racial Equality, Trevor Phillips, Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington, St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Dr Kenny Anthony, who has the lead responsibility in Caricom for governance, former St Lucia’s prime minister, Dr Vaughn Lewis and former UWI Professor, Dr Bishnodat Persaud, who is now an officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat.
