Well-known People’s National Congress Reform member and former head of the Guyana Water Incorporated, Richard Van West-Charles, has been nominated as Guyana’s ambassador to Venezuela, an act which government says is testament to its commitment to inclusion.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd told Stabroek News yesterday that Van West-Charles was chosen on merit as he is seen as the most suitable person for the job.
However, he is still to be given agrément by Caracas. “He was selected as we believe he is suitable,” Todd said. “We requested agrément and we are awaiting a response,” he added.
This newspaper reached out to Van West-Charles for comment but up to press time he had not responded.
He said that President Irfaan Ali is true to his commitment that the country’s priorities and nation building triumph over political allegiance. “This is part of the inclusive governance structure that President Ali embraces”, he said.
“We want to be a government that is inclusive and we would also extend invitations to persons who are not from the PPP but who have the national interest over everything else at heart,” he added.
Van West-Charles is the son-in law of PNC founder Forbes Burnham and has been an executive of both the PNC and the Alliance for Change.
In 2021 he entered the contest for Leader of the PNCR, telling this newspaper in an interview that he wanted to be judged on his character and experience and not that of his deceased father-in-law.
A licensed physician who has worked in many countries and for years at the World Health and Pan-American Health organizations, Van West-Charles had said that when Burnham was President, his (Van West-Charles’) election to the executive of the PNC and his positions in government were never through nepotism but his qualifications.
Van West-Charles’ appearance at an Emancipation celebration at State House in August this year had signalled that there had been a rapprochement between him and the PPP/C and that some position would be in the offing.
He had stated that before the emancipation function he had a meeting with President Ali “his friend” and “political colleague” who asked that he say a few words. “Well those of us who have been in the political realm for a very long time know when the President asks you to do something you comply”, he said.
Stating that he had nothing prepared, Van West-Charles said he wanted to share something from the heart stressing that it is good to see the celebration in culture to mark the observance of another Emancipation from slavery.
Van West-Charles added that it is also “good to reflect on the barbarous nature and the violence meted out to our ancestors and as the Jews do because we are a part of humanity we have to ensure that this is not repeated again.”
He pointed out that Guyana has multiple ethnicities with the country’s motto being ‘One people, One nation, One destiny’ and with Ali’s programmatic framework being ‘One Guyana’, “that it is important for us because it’s building a nation, it’s saying who we are and so as we mark 185th anniversary of the abolition, we also are making the 200th anniversary of the rebellion of 1823, all together with that of Barbados in 1816, together of that Jamaica in 1831…”
Van West-Charles urged that as Guyana goes forward with its new-found resources and with a president such as Ali committed to “our development” then not only must they celebrate but be “soldiers” in the field, in the office, in the factory “to say that we all must work hard to ensure that we benefit from the resources which our government is putting forward at this time.”
He stated that is important that the government has put forward a number of programmes that are “directed to all of us.”
“It is not only about marking the issue of the abolition of slavery, it is about how collectively we can create wealth for us as a country, create wealth for us as a family, create wealth as individuals and that is the direction we have to go because the development of this country is important in also leading the development of other nations who are close to us.”
Van West-Charles then encouraged that as Guyana goes forward “we work together to ensure that we build a country that is for all and I am sure my friend and my colleague Dr. Ali will provide us with the leadership as we go forward.”
In closing, Charles asked those in the gathering to turn to the person next to them and shake each other’s hand “and say there is nothing wrong in shaking my hand, let us move forward.”
Last year, Van West-Charles who was appointed advisor to the Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, had seemed set to pull out from that post over concerns about poor communication and lack of consultation.
“I have therefore concluded that until the role of, and the process by which the Advisor can function in a meaningful manner, critical to bringing value to our Party is clarified, I have no other option than to offer to withdraw from the named position of Advisor. I do wish to make a positive and effective contribution to the work of the Party, but not as a casual or optional appendage,” Van West-Charles was reported to have said in his April 14, 2022 letter to the PNCR Leader.
