Dear Editor,
I would like to express my profound delight at the tempo of the new government which is of, by and for the people of Guyana, as they seek to fix our broken country. As they move forward with their bold plan to deliver a better deal, with better jobs, better wages and a better future for all Guyanese I would like to wish them well.
Each morning the people of Guyana are met with the good tidings of the various cabinet members working around the clock, protecting workers rights, modernizing and professionalizing the public sector, ramping up Covid-19 testing and treatment, developing a sports policy, seeking to reopen the shuttered sugar estates, ensuring the safety of schools and their opening at their earliest possible time, improving water and housing services etc., indeed the President, the Prime Minister and the Ministers have begun their term like the proverbial house on fire.
More recently there have been multiple appointments within the Foreign Affairs Ministry, where again good judgement was shown as we seek to create the best diplomatic service in the region. Undoubtedly these persons shall do well in pushing our national interests and supporting our economic and commercial interests.
However, a word of caution. There should be no rush by the new government to remove and replace highly trained and experienced diplomats. This would be a mistake of monumental proportions. Diplomats the calibre of our current Ambassador to the United States Dr. Riyad Insanally, who is a Guyana scholar, who is a graduate summa cum laude of Cambridge and Harvard Universities two of the most prestigious universities in the world, a career diplomat with over 25 years’ experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in international organizations are invaluable and incomparable.
Additionally, I would like to suggest that urgent consideration be given to tapping of the resources of our foreign service experts the likes of former Director General and former Ambassador Elisabeth Harper who is a brilliant diplomat and skilled negotiator with unique skills and tremendous institutional knowledge and whose outstanding skills in diplomacy are not being currently utilized.
Yours faithfully,
Kishore Das
