The attacks by government officials on foreign diplomats do not reflect favourably on Guyana and do not promote Guyana’s interests, outgoing British High Commissioner to Guyana Andrew Ayre has said.
“In general terms, I’m concerned about what the western diplomatic community now calls ‘blasts’ that we occasionally get, either when we arrive or when we leave. Not so much on a personal level; I have broad shoulders and when those ‘blasts’ have no basis in fact then, they don’t really have much impact…but where the impact happens is in capitals,” Ayre told Stabroek News in an interview at the British High Commission on Friday.
“Brent Hardt, my US colleague and I have received quite significant ‘blasts’ send-offs. This looks bad in Washington, it looks bad in London and I have to wonder how that promotes Guyana’s interests in two of the key five countries in the world. I would argue strongly that it doesn’t promote Guyana’s interests in these countries and my recommendation would be that sort of behaviour ceases,” he declared. “I think it’s unfortunate…I know that there’s politics here and I know that there’s sensitivities here. I don’t agree with the sensitivities, I have to say. I think that you have a mature relationship and occasionally disagree. I think on the two issues which I recently received criticism for, the UK is not going to stop promoting democracy. It is as simple as that. And UK ministers are not going to stop caring about democracy, hence their statement,” he asserted.
Ayre, at a press briefing earlier this month, had stated that the suspension of Parliament here was a violation of the Commonwealth Charter and aid could be affected. “Without a Parliament there is no parliamentary oversight of development assistance…clearly the appetite to send money to a country that has no parliamentary oversight is much reduced,” he had said. Subsequently, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said that Ayre should be considered a “pariah” over his statements and described him as “terribly dishonourable.” He further said the UK High Commissioner “sinisterly and conspiratorially” revealed the European Union’s (EU) and the UK’s handiwork in the “recent EU dishonouring” of its agreement with the Guyana government on budgetary support.
The EU subsequently said the absence of budget oversight was among the reasons for it withholding $5.8 billion (€25 million) in funds due to Guyana for sea defence and the sugar sector.
Ayre told Stabroek News that as it relates to EU development spending, he never mentioned it and it was the government that decided to put that out in public domain. They are the ones who have to be asked why they thought that was in their interest, he said, while adding that those conversations are better had behind closed doors.
“I think it’s most unfortunate that these claims were made and these accusations were made. It’s quite clear under the European Union treaties that development is an EU competence and therefore they are responsible for that and I think for Dr. Luncheon to make those claims as he did and particularly in the language that he did, I think it’s most unfortunate and the UK views it in that way,” Ayre said.
Asked if the UK had provided an opinion or lobbied Brussels regarding any need to send a signal over the suspension of Parliament, Ayre said there are constant discussions in Brussels between member states and the development cooperation body and other European Union institutions “about everything.” He declined to go into detail regarding those discussions.
In reference to his comment that the appetite of UK taxpayers to send development assistance to a country that does not have parliamentary oversight is much reduced, Ayre said, “I meant that and I still mean that. Clearly if there’s no parliamentary oversight, you can’t be sure that monies are being spent appropriately; it’s part of the checks and balances that Parliament provides in a democracy.”
