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Former Member

Verbal attack on US envoy… APNU MP demands apology from Manickchand

July 11, 2014, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source

Education Minister Priya Manickchand yesterday experienced another bout of loud booing yesterday when she stood in the National Assembly to defend her choice to “reprimand” the United States Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt at his local residence a week ago; on which occasion she was also vociferously booed.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament, Africo Selman, stood on the floor of the National Assembly yesterday calling for Manickchand to issue an apology to the nation. Selman premised her request on the “fact” that she was personally aggrieved by Manickchand’s actions displayed a week ago at Ambassador Hardt’s local residence. She said that the Minister’s behaviour was an embarrassment.

Selman condemned the Minister’s “inappropriate behaviour” and expressed the view that celebrations are memorable and that was not an occasion to reprimand anyone. She said that Manickchand’s speech was in bad taste and “cannot be wished away”.

The Member of Parliament then told the House that the Minister therefore owes the nation an apology.

Selman’s call attracted loud objections from those sitting on the government’s side.

Members of Parliament, Manzoor Nadir, Gail Teixeira and even the Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett sought to defend Manickchand. But Speaker Raphael Trotman’s decision to not allow a debate on the issue, prevented Rodrigues-Birkett from speaking, despite her indication that she wanted to do so.

When Manickchand got up to speak, members on the Opposition benches wasted no time in heckling her to a point where the Minister’s voice was almost drowned.

At one point the Minister became so aggravated that she told APNU shadow Minister of Finance Carl Greenidge that “for a short man” he has a loud voice.

Manickchand told the House that Guyanese do not have to say yes to the United States to avoid trouble or please the US, because Guyana is a sovereign state.

She said government is of the firm view that Hardt was meddling too much in local politics.

“Two days before I delivered that speech, the Ambassador undiplomatically denigrated and libeled President Donald Ramotar, lashed out at and mocked the General Secretary of the ruling party, and represented the two opposition parties against the government.”

Manickchand maintained that her speech was not a breach of diplomatic protocols.

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Former Member

Originally Posted by Demerara_Guy:

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

She said government is of the firm view that Hardt was meddling too much in local politics.

Manickchand maintained that her speech was not a breach of diplomatic protocols.

7/11/142:12 PM

Former Member

And she made it clear that leaders of Guyana have a duty to defend Guyana’s sovereignty, and do not enjoy the luxury of saying yes to the dangerous interference simply to avoid trouble or to please someone, including another country.

7/11/142:45 PM

MitwahSenior Member

Originally Posted by asj:

Manickchand booed AGAIN in National Assembly

July 10, 2014 3:06 pmCategory: PoliticsA+ / A-

By Kurt Campbell

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand

[www.inewsguyana.com] –

Loud booing and heckling erupted in the National Assembly this afternoon (Thursday, July 10), when Education Minister Priya Manickchand stood in the House to defend the speech she delivered one week ago which has been widely deemed as an assault of United States Ambassador to Guyana, Brent Hardt.

Opposition Parliamentarians booed and shouted “shame” almost drowning out the Minister. Manickchand was responding to Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Africo Selman’s call for her to issue an apology to the nation, pointing out that her behavior was an embarrassment.

According to Selman, she is personally aggrieved and condemned what she said was the Minister’s inappropriate behavior which was displayed at the Ambassador’s local residence to celebrate the July 4 US independence.

“It was an attack that was most inappropriate and of bad taste,” Selman said despite objections from the government benches.

She recommended that if the administration had objections to the manner in which the Ambassador was operating, they should have called him behind closed doors or his principals should have been asked to recall him.

However, Manickchand responded pointing out that the administration has in fact met with the Ambassador behind closed doors and addressed his “frequent breach of diplomatic protocol but to no avail.”

According to the Minister, “Guyanese do not have the luxury to say yes to the United States to avoid trouble or please the US because Guyana is a sovereign state.”

She said government is of the firm view that Hardt was meddling too much in local politics and his remarks at a public functions days prior, called for an insurrection in the country.

“Two days before I delivered that speech the Ambassador undiplomatically denigrated and libeled President Donald Ramotar, lashed at and mocked the General Secretary of the ruling party and represented the two opposition parties against the government.”

Manickchand maintained that her response to the Ambassador was fitting and within established diplomatic protocols.

7/11/142:53 PM