Education Minister Priya Manickchand came in for a second round of booing yesterday when she tried to rebuff criticism in the National Assembly over her recent attack on the former US Ambassador.
APNU MP Africo Selman, addressing the Assembly under Standing Order (SO) 19, took Manickchand to task for remarks made a week earlier at a reception hosted by the then departing Ambassador Brent Hardt at the residence, where she elicited jeers and boos after attacking the envoy over his criticism of the excuses given by the Donald Ramotar administration and the president himself for not holding local government elections. Manickchand castigated the ambassador in a manner many critics have labelled undiplomatic and unprofessional. Lauding her riposte, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon labelled Manickchand’s presentation as a “feral blast”. Since the incident Manickchand has been scolded as well as defended for her actions.
After she was cleared to speak, Selman told the house that she is “personally aggrieved” by the minister’s “attack” because it was embarrassing, undip-lomatic and inappropriate. Before Selman got too far, though, PPP/C MP Gail Teixeira rose and pointed out that while Selman claimed to be making a personal statement, she was purporting to speak on