Dear Editor,
The glorious and momentous Chairmanship of the G77 is Guyana’s. David Granger can rejoice in the prestige gained as he is wont, but the Chair came at a hefty price and also with high recurring costs.
First the price: Guyana’s Ambassador to the UN, Michael Ten-Pow has not voted at the UNCLOS – United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is specifically in Guyana’s interest against Venezuela. Guyana was marked as absent. Here is Guyana taking Venezuela to court for not adhering to the UNCLOS and Guyana’s Mission at the UN saw it fit to abstain from the vote. This is a dereliction of duty to Guyana.
And then the recurring costs: It is interesting to see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release on the issue speak about “Team members will be drawn from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other Government Ministries and agencies and from the Guyanese diaspora.” The ‘team’ will cost the taxpayers a large amount per annum and includes such notables as former UG Vice-Chancellor Ivelaw Griffith, Troy Torrington, and Neil Pierre. Other names being floated include Attorney James Bond and former Mayor of Linden Carwyn Holland. It is as if the last joke is being played on the Guyanese taxpayer before we can get to the polls on March 2nd, 2020.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General Audrey Jardine-Waddell was the first casualty of this ‘vanity’ campaign, Guyana was the last; the implications for our border security and maritime issues are far reaching. Can Ten-Pow and his team be trusted to serve Guyana in the future? I don’t think so.
Yours faithfully,
Robin Singh
