It was Cabinet who prepared and cleared the speech that was delivered by Minister Priya Manickchand, chiding the US Ambassador, Brent Hardt, during a recent reception held in observance of America’s Independence Anniversary at his residence on Wednesday last.
This was confirmed on Friday by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, who told reporters that it is “standard practice”.
Dr Luncheon also defended the occasion used by Government to launch the vitriolic attack on the Ambassador, as ‘ideal’ since Hardt is scheduled to leave Guyana’s shores today.
He said that the Ambassador’s statements required an almost instantaneous response by Government.
According to Dr Luncheon, the speech read by Manickchand was compiled and edited at Office of the President. He added that input was received from those who are consulted and those who volunteered contributions, “to have these remarks made and heard and then they are compiled and edited, and at that point in time a decision is made.”
He explained that since the substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, was not in Guyana a decision was taken on who would make the presentation at the Ambassador’s function.
According to Luncheon, the situation is akin to the criticisms that were leveled at Winston Brassington over the affairs of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) when in fact he is only acting on Cabinet decisions.
As it relates to Ambassador Hardt, Dr Luncheon noted that he leaves today, and has already identified his successor, but on Monday last, he still took the podium at an event hosted by the Blue Caps Organisation and launched a broadside against President Donald Ramotar, the Government of Guyana, Clement Rohee, the General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) and the party itself.”
According to Dr Luncheon, the Ambassador’s remarks “came perilously close to the ranting of the current opposition parties.” He said that the Ambassador saw it fit to accuse the President of duplicity regarding the constitutional rectitude, and belittle Rohee’s intellect.
Dr Luncheon said that it was amazing to see Ambassador Hardt attempt to speak of the comparable grounds for insurrection between the 1776 issues that faced King George at the time of the birth of the US and that which is facing President Ramotar during his term in office with regard to local government elections.
Dr Luncheon also observed a ‘muted’ reaction to the Ambassador by the local media and as such, the PPP was disposed to act immediately.
“The annual July the fourth ritual presented an ideal opportunity,” said Dr Luncheon.
He noted too that the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Manickchand, who is an Attorney-at-Law, was relying on Article 37 of the Guyana Constitution, when she delivered a legitimate, “blast, a feral blast in response to the US Ambassador.”
Article 37 of the Guyana Constitution says “The state supports the legitimate aspirations of other people for freedom and independence and will establish relations with all states on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect, inviolability of frontiers, territorial integrity of states, peaceful settlements of disputes, non-intervention in internal affairs, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and cooperation among states.”
According to Dr Luncheon, that article in the Constitution was imperative in guiding the Cabinet in the content of its response to the American Ambassador.
Dr Luncheon was also quick to point out that the “feral blast” against the Ambassador, was not in response to only his remarks on Monday, but was rather in response to an accumulation which was capped by his remarks to the Blue Caps Organisation.
Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/07/06/manickchands-blast-of-us-envoy-was-prepared-by-cabinet-dr-luncheon/