President, Opposition Leader hail ruling by World Court
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and former APNU+AFC Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge interact at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre after the historic ruling by the ICJ on Friday (OP photo)
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and former APNU+AFC Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge interact at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre after the historic ruling by the ICJ on Friday (OP photo)

–say a step closer in settling Guyana, Venezuela border controversy

By Rabindra Rooplall and Navendra Seoraj

THE International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling Friday morning should be celebrated by all of Guyana, and should be seen as a healing point for the country, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said. The President and members of his Cabinet; former Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, and other officials were at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) to view the historic ruling by the World Court. The court ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear Guyana’s case seeking the validation of the 1899 Arbitral Award establishing the boundary with Venezuela.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd

A jubilant eruption resonated around the venue when the announcement was made on the visual monitors, and President Ali instantly called and thanked Sir Shridath Ramphal, Guyana’s first Attorney-General, who led Guyana’s arguments and Paul Reichler of the international law firm, Foley Hoag, who also represented Guyana. The President said it was a privilege to speak to Sir Shridath, but noted that the victory was one that took hard work and dedication from many persons over many years. “I want this morning to go beyond our lawyers and our legal team; I want to thank all of those who played such an integral part in this process. The names are too many to mention, many of whom are in this room,” the Head of State said at the ACCC.

Sir Ronald Sanders

President Ali pointed out that despite political differences, Guyana’s Governments over the years have been steadfast in their desire to protect and resolutely defend her sovereignty and territorial integrity. “We have always stood together; we have always recognised together, and demonstrated to the international community together that we are one, and that we are united on our sovereignty and borders,” President Ali said.

GREAT VICTORY

PNCR General-Secretary, Ms. Amna Ally

The President noted that the ruling was a great victory for Guyana, and it should be used to unite the country, going forward. “This victory is testimony to what we can achieve as a people when we are united, and this should be a healing point for our country. There is no compromise on our sovereignty; we are together on this. And it is with this same spirit that I think we should be together on the development and future of our country,” he said. The President also thanked the United Nations for choosing the court for the resolution of the case, and was hopeful that Venezuela, which had opted to not participate, would reconsider its decision. “I express the hope, now that the court has ruled decisively in favour of the jurisdiction to rule on merits, that our neighbours would consider participating fully in the proceedings,” President Ali said.

 

Opposition Leader, Mr. Joseph Harmon

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hugh Todd also called the ruling a victory for Guyana. He said that it was also a victory for multilateralism, indicating that Guyana likes to be on the right side of the law. The minister said that although Guyana respects the Venezuelan people, it is imperative that Guyana protects its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Despite the ruling, the minister noted that while there is still a lot to do, he is confident that an end to the process is in sight. Meanwhile, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Greenidge was also happy with the decision, and thanked the Advisory Committee, Cabinet ministers and foreign officers who worked on the matter. As a result of Friday’s ruling, the Court would proceed to hear the merits of the case. It will decide and judge on Guyana’s claim, which could result in the permanent fixture of the established boundary with Venezuela.

STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION

Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister Mr. Anil Nandlall congratulated Guyana’s legal team and Advisory Committee on its submissions, noting that jurisdiction to hear and determine the border issue with Venezuela is a step in the right direction. “If the court ruled that it didn’t have jurisdiction, then that would have been the end of the matter, and we would not have had a civilised, lawful mechanism available to us to resolve this matter, or to even prosecute a case even further. This is a significant victory for Guyana, and for all Guyanese,” the Attorney-General said.

Guyanese-born diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders described the ruling as “marvelous”, noting that it proves that going to the ICJ for the settlement of this contention was the right thing to do. “I am convinced that international law and justice is on Guyana’s side, and today’s judgment was a firm indication that this is so. Of course, the merits of the case still have to be heard, but based on what was said today, and what we know of the merits of the Venezuela case, I think, in the end, justice would prevail for Guyana. It is a great day for Guyana in the process of getting this matter settled once and for all,” Sir Ronald said.

Noting that the case still has to be presented on its merits, the career diplomat said the international court dismissed the idea put forward by Venezuela that they did not have jurisdiction to hear it. “They made it abundantly clear that they do have that jurisdiction, and that the argument that the Venezuelans were putting forward that the Secretary-General of the UN erred when he sent the case to the ICJ, they ruled very clearly that that was nonsense; that the Secretary-General acted legally and appropriately, and that they are a competent body to hear the case. That is an important development for Guyana,” Sir Ronald explained. Emphasising that the case will have to go forward on its merits, the diplomat said Guyana will have to put forward its contention as to why all the claims that the Venezuelans are making about the invalidity of the 1899 arbitral award are null and void.

FANCIFUL STORY

“What will be interesting is to see whether the Venezuelans decide at that point that they will become party to the proceedings; so far they have not. They, too, will have to advance arguments as to what they are saying,” Sir Ronald said, adding: “This fanciful story about some young attorney saying that the judge was bribed, and that is how Guyana got the UK, then in control of Guyana, got the victory; they have to prove all of that. And, of course, it is fanciful, and therefore impossible to prove in law. It is very well to allege things, but when you allege you must also confirm.”

The Private Sector Commission (PSC)’s Mr. Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer said the ruling is a good step for Guyana towards finally resolving the controversy, while
General-Secretary of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), Ms. Amna Ally described the ruling as “great news”, and expressed optimism that the case will end with a favourable outcome for Guyana. “We need to guard our territory, and I support that. My party supports that; the Coalition supports that,” she said. Opposition Leader Mr. Joseph Harmon said the ICJ vote is a good decision for Guyana, as it now paves the way for the substantive issue to be address. “On this issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity, we stand together as a nation, and we trust that as the case moves to the next stage, that we continue to stand on common ground,” Harmon said.

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