Dear Editor,
Certain impressions concerning remarks I made on the evening session on Wednesday 23rd August, 2017 to Toshaos were carried by your newspaper yesterday under the caption ‘Tension flares between Toshaos Council, Ministers’.
Firstly, on the evening in question I did not notice any person walk out, neither when I gave introductory remarks nor when I answered the very many questions put to me. If anyone walked out as your newspaper mentioned I may have missed them. And obviously so, because my attention was entirely focused on the rest who were interested in what I had to say and the answers and explanations I gave to their many queries.
Secondly, my presence there was upon the invitation of Vice President Allicock and Junior Minister Lowe. I was most happy for this invitation and was grateful for the opportunity to meet the Toshaos.
A number of their individual grievances will soon be resolved as a result of this engagement, through the efforts of the Ministers who attended, namely, Basil Williams, Raphael Trotman, Winston Felix and myself.
Thirdly, I was prompted by your newspaper article to investigate why the three Toshaos walked out on us Ministers. In my opinion, and I managed to glean this from what was told to me by other Toshaos, it is because they had a meeting/reception with the Honourable Bharrat Jagdeo MP. I attach the invitation for your information.
I am very sorry if I and my colleague Ministers caused these Toshaos to be late for their meeting/reception with the Leader of the Opposition. Had I been given prior notification about this, I certainly would have consented to another date.
Finally, my apologies to those who felt upset and disrespected at my presence at the cricket on Tuesday.
Yours faithfully,
Khemraj Ramjattan
Vice President and Minister of
Public Security