Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon on Tuesday skipped out of meeting with Secretary-General (SG) of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland and sent Shadow Legal Affairs Minister Roysdale Forde instead.
In a statement released to the media yesterday, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition said that the SG’s Office requested the meeting but did not state a reason for Harmon not attending.
The meeting was held at PNCR’s headquarters at Sophia in conjunction with the call by Scotland on Leader of the PNCR Aubrey Norton. Harmon and Norton have been at loggerheads over who should be Leader of the Opposition and observers note that Harmon would not likely visit Congress Place at this juncture.
“At the aforesaid meeting, important issues of national concern were raised and addressed, not limited to the necessity for a new List of Electors, ethnic and political discrimination, the role and expansion of civil society, the reemergence of dictatorial and authoritarian conduct of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, and the wanton disregard for the Rule of Law as evidenced by the numerous and flagrant breaches of the Constitution of Guyana,” the statement said.
It added that Forde complained about the continuous divergence of the PPP/C government from the Commonwealth Latimer House Principles, which embody the Commonwealth’s commitment to the Rule of Law and good governance.
“Additionally, the malfunctioning of the Parliament of Guyana was discussed, particularly the repressive conduct of the Speaker in seeking to muzzle debate, his refusal to permit debates on Motions of urgent and national importance, and the rejection of hundreds of Questions,” the statement read.
It concluded by saying that the two parties committed to working closely to address the issues raised in furtherance of the development of the Guyanese people.
