Commonwealth envoy will determine role in national stability -Hoyte
Stabroek News
August 28, 2002
PNC/R leader, Desmond Hoyte says that it is for the Commonwealth Secretary-General's Special Envoy Sir Paul Reeves to determine what role he could play in promoting national stability.
He reiterated that the dialogue with President Bharrat Jagdeo would only resume when the government implements the decisions on which he and President Jagdeo had agreed.
Sir Paul who arrived here on Sunday met Hoyte and some members of his party's central executive committee among whom were Robert Corbin, Clarissa Riehl, Deryck Bernard, Oscar Clarke, Dr Faith Harding, Lance Carberry and REFORM chairman, Jerome Khan at Congress Place yesterday. Sir Paul's assistants, Kosi Latu and Judith Pestaina, were also at the meeting.
Speaking with reporters afterwards, Hoyte said that after having heard from the various civil society groupings that he proposes to meet during his stay, it would then be up to Sir Paul to determine what role he sees himself been able to play.
Hoyte said that he had tried to get across to Sir Paul that the PNC/R could not be unmindful of the initiative being taken by civil society. "Whatever is going to happen in this country has to, in our view, involve the activities of the citizens who want to play a part in trying to promote national stability and harmony in our society."
Hoyte stressed that "ultimately the problems of Guyana have to be solved by Guyanese" and that "I think that Sir Paul himself understood this when he said that he thought the role of the civil society group was an important initiative."
Hoyte observed that Sir Paul seemed overwhelmed by the little he had seen and heard already, "as it is not an easy situation he has come into."
The PNC/R leader reiterated that Sir Paul's visit was as a result of an initiative by President Jagdeo and that when it was proposed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon it would not have been appropriate, politically wise nor reasonable to turn down the visit. Ordinary courtesy, he said, would compel that the Secretary-General's envoy was received, but it did not mean that the party considered the visit useful or not useful. "We don't know."
Hoyte explained that the PNC/R agreed to the visit out of political necessity and took the position to receive Sir Paul courteously but "we don't know what he is going to achieve."
However, Hoyte said that he had indicated his party's willingness to meet Sir Paul if he wanted a second meeting.
Sir Paul who leaves at the weekend arrived here on Sunday and on Monday met President Jagdeo at the Office of the President. He has also met the Guyana Bar Association.