Harmon will not meet with Chatterjee
Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon will not be meeting with outgoing Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee. The two were expected to meet this week, the final week in Guyana for the diplomat as she leaves for home and then her new post in Barbados. As expected, the High Commissioner is making a series of courtesy calls on several government and other officials.
In a letter seen by this publication, the Opposition Leader cites “urgent political commitments” on the 9th December, 2020, the date the two were expected to meet. In his one page letter, Harmon also highlighted what he said was the High Commission’s “role”, in facilitating the departure of former Member of Parliament Charandass Persaud. Persaud’s vote gave the then PPP opposition a majority on its no confidence vote in the National Assembly. Persaud then left the country for Canada. He holds citizenship for that country.
Harmon also highlighted what he described as “breaches of diplomatic protocol” which he said took place country the electoral count of the votes for the March elections. He did not elaborate about those alleged breaches. The Opposition Leader ended his missive to the Canadian High Commissioner recognising the good relations between the two Commonwealth countries as he wished her and her family a “merry Christmas”. The High Commissioner has not been able to meet with former President David Granger either.
High Commissioner Chatterjee has long denied any interference in the elections process as she described them as fabrications when she spoke to this publication on Saturday. Today the High Commissioner met with Prime Minister Mark Phillips.
