President Irfaan Ali, First Lady Arya Ali and a team of Government officials left Guyana today to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda.
A release from the Office of the President said that Ali will join Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda under the theme “Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming”. Decisions taken at the CHOGM will also guide the work programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Engagements are listed for the entire week, including a Commonwealth Business Forum and a climate change event but the official opening of the CHOGM will take place on Friday, June 24. This will be followed by the main high-level meetings of Heads on Friday and Saturday.
Accompanying the President is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper.
Following the CHOGM in Kigali, President Ali and the First Lady will be travelling to Suriname to participate in the Suriname Energy, Oil & Gas Summit & Exhibition 2022 in Paramaribo on June 27- 28.
Ali’s departure comes while a major controversy swirls around Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo following bribery claims made by a Chinese businessman in an undercover VICE News programme.
The President has also departed without announcing the team to probe the 2020 general elections. Last week Ali had said that the announcement would be made before dawn today.
Ali has also left hanging the important matter of the substantive appointments of a Chancellor of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice. Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton had stated his willingness to have the current acting incumbents confirmed and left the matter up to Ali. The President has not addressed the matter.
