“I did not exercise diplomacy” – Charrandas Persaud

…issues public apology for obscene outburst, departs India
…Chargé d’Affaires now acting as High Commissioner

Guyana’s former High Commissioner to India, Charrandas Persaud, has departed India, having issued a public apology for the confrontation he had had with a woman at his official residence in New Delhi, which was caught on tape and resulted in his being recalled.
During a Christmas Day reception, Persaud publicly apologised for his actions to an audience that included Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev. He noted that he is willingly leaving India, due to his acknowledgement of the wrong that he had done.
“I did what I did out of anger. And I’ll say this now; I have to, because, as High Commissioner, I represent a nation; I represent a people. The President of my country, President Dr Irfaan Ali, and (India’s) Prime Minister Modi have to approve of me, as they did for every diplomat in the country, to come here,” Persaud said.
“What I did as High Commissioner was wrong. I will say this because I think I owe my friends, my colleagues, an apology for behaving in a manner not becoming of a diplomat. I was angry, I did not exercise diplomacy, and so I spoke in (that) manner.”

According to Persaud, “I apologise to the people of India, to the Prime Minister, to my colleagues who are all diplomats; to my Government, and the President in particular.”
In October 2022, Persaud came under criticism after a video emerged of him verbally abusing a woman who had ventured into his yard looking for a stray dog. After the incident – and indeed, in his Christmas apology – Persaud reiterated that it was the woman who first abused him…though he made it clear his behaviour was still unbecoming of a diplomat.
After the video started making its rounds, President Dr Irfaan Ali, via a Facebook Live, informed the nation that Persaud would be recalled. According to the Head of State, he had had a telephone conversation with Persaud after the video was brought to his attention, and during that engagement, President Ali said, Persaud agreed to accept “full responsibility” for his actions, and will return home.
“Mr. Charandass agreed with me that, in keeping with the best interests of Guyana and the image of Guyana, that he will return home from his posting in India,” the President revealed during his address. He went on to say that official steps would be taken to ensure a smooth transition, and to continue to strengthen work with India.
“I want to assure all Guyanese that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Guyana continue to work every day to strengthen our relationships, the relationship not only with India, but with every other partner across the globe,” the Guyanese Leader assured.

Charge’ d’Affaires
Meanwhile, a well-placed source has indicated that Foreign Officer Ronalda Edwards-Horatio, who is the Charge’ d’Affaires of Guyana’s High Commission in India, is going to be performing the role of High Commissioner until someone can be accredited.

Guyana Times understands that a name has already been decided upon, but calls to Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd for confirmation on this went unanswered on Tuesday.
Persaud is a former Alliance For Change member and a former Parliamentarian under the previous Coalition Administration. He rose to prominence following his “yes vote” on a PPP/C-sponsored no-confidence motion against the APNU/AFC Government on the night of December 21, 2018.
He had departed Guyana immediately for Canada on the night the coalition Government was toppled, out of fear for his life, after he had received death threats.
Persaud returned to Guyana following the swearing-in of President Ali, and was subsequently accredited as High Commissioner to India in March 2021. He was accredited as Guyana’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka last December. (G3)