…says party awaiting CCJ ruling to decide on return to Parliament

LEADER of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, said he has welcomed Government’s decision to retain former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge at the ministry.

“I do not have a problem with Carl Greenidge remaining there,” said Jagdeo during a press conference at his office on Thursday. Greenidge and three other ministers of Government had resigned from their posts after the Court of Appeal confirmed a High Court decision that persons with dual citizenship are constitutionally barred from being elected to the National Assembly.

“With all due respect, with our border case before the International Court of Justice, you need someone who has in-depth knowledge about the issue…he should be retained because of that concern,” said Jagdeo. The leader of the opposition was referring to the on-going border controversy case between Guyana and Venezuela.

Dr. Karen Cummings, who has served for four years as Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, was recently appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. President David Granger had recently explained that he had several meetings with Greenidge who agreed to remain in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lend support to Minister Cummings.

“He (Greenidge) is engaged with the team and as you know, the case is before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and there are certain aspects of the economic and international relations of Guyana with other countries that I will ask him to accept responsibility for,” said the President.

Meanwhile, Jagdeo said his party will decide if it will return to Parliament after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) rules on the validity of the no-confidence motion which was passed in the National Assembly in December.

The validity of the motion was challenged and deemed valid by the High Court but, the matter was appealed and the Court of Appeal ruled that 34 votes and not 33 were needed to pass the no-confidence motion. The CCJ began hearing the matter on Thursday. “We are hoping that the CCJ’s ruling would come out before the next sitting of the National Assembly,” said Jagdeo during the news conference.

Jagdeo said if the ruling is favourable to the government, the opposition will attend the next sitting of the National Assembly which is scheduled for next week. “If it is not in favour of the government, we will not be attending the sitting,” said Jagdeo.