Commonwealth envoy here to push Jagdeo/Hoyte meeting
Stabroek News
October 17, 2002
Sir Paul Reeves the Special Envoy of the Commonwealth Secretary- General has returned to Guyana to continue his efforts to get President Bharrat Jagdeo and PNC/R leader, Desmond Hoyte to resume their dialogue sessions.
Judith Pestaina of the Commonwealth Secretariat is with Sir Paul on this visit.
Since his arrival on Tuesday, Sir Paul has met with President Bharrat Jagdeo and he has told Stabroek News of his intention to meet with the Social Partners before he leaves on Sunday. Stabroek News understands that he has scheduled a breakfast meeting tomorrow with Private Sector Commission chairman, Dr Peter de Groot as well as a meeting later in the day with Hoyte. Sir Paul intends to speak with de Groot about how the Social Partners’ initiative could prompt a resumption of the Jagdeo/Hoyte dialogue and about how to get the parliamentary parties to operationalise Article 13 of the constitution. This article allows for the participation of civil society in decision-making.
Stabroek News understands that he plans to meet with The United Force, the Working People’s Alliance and ROAR tomorrow. It is unclear whether Sir Paul has a meeting planned with the Guyana Action Party.
Sir Paul was unable to say, if when he leaves here on Sunday whether he would be returning before the end of the year. But he said he would be making regular visits until he has discharged his mandate.
Sir Paul first visited Guyana in August following meetings between the Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon and President Jagdeo and Hoyte when he attended the CARICOM Summit held here in July.
Sir Paul served as Governor General of New Zealand from 1985-90. In 1994, he was Deputy Leader of the Commonwealth Observer Group to the South African elections and leader of the Commonwealth Group which observed the 1996 elections in Ghana. Sir Paul also chaired the Fiji Constitutional Review Commission from 1995-1997.