…denies reports she was fired as Foreign Affairs Minister
Contrary to reports that she was given marching orders by the caretaker Government, former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Karen Cummings denied such reports and maintained she was still the Minister.
Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Karen Cummings
Reports in sections of the media had asserted that Dr Cummings was let go shortly after the March 2 General and Regional Elections. When contacted by Guyana Times, however, Cummings denied the reports.
“Who’s the source? I don’t know about that,” she said, adding that nothing had changed and she was still the Foreign Affairs Minister.
Previously, the Minister was criticised after video of an exchange between her and leader of the Commonwealth Observer Mission, Owen Arthur, made its way to the media on March 5. Prior to that exchange, the former Minister had hinted that the observers could have their accreditation revoked.
She was accused of trying to intimidate the international missions that are keenly observing the electoral process in Guyana.
Dr Cummings had told the international observers that she was instructed to withdraw their accreditation, but she was not in agreement that it should be done; she did not reveal who gave her those instructions and why.
However, her comments were quickly countered by observers in the room, who argued that her remarks were considered a form of intimidation
“It comes across as intimidation, that you are trying to intimidate the observers when you speak about taking away accreditation,” one of the observers was heard saying.
Thereafter, she had attempted to apologise, saying “the last word you are hearing from me is to continue doing your job.” To which, the person responded by saying that “it doesn’t take away from the fact that you made a threat that you were told to take away accreditation”. At that point, Arthur had intervened and confronted the former Foreign Affairs Minister.
“I speak on behalf of the Commonwealth, the largest organisation of people in the world, and I am not going to have, not me, the Commonwealth disrespected by a threat to take away the accreditation,” Arthur had declared.
Dr Cummings had then attempted to apologise. But Arthur posited that “I am going to speak to the Commonwealth Secretary General shortly … and I have a duty to her to report accurately and I cannot now avoid speaking accurately.”
Moreover, at one point, Arthur held out his accreditation badge to Dr Cummings, saying that he would hand it in voluntarily. As the Head of the Commonwealth Mission continued speaking, Dr Cummings was handed a cellphone by Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers.
The video had showed her speaking with someone on the line and then she was heard saying, “okay, I am coming out.” Dr Cummings had then exited the room.
The reports follow on the heels of similar reports that her predecessor, Carl Greenidge, was also let go from his position as Foreign Secretary. Neither Greenidge or the Foreign Affairs Ministry itself has confirmed or denied these reports.
At present, Guyana and the status of the Government remain in limbo as the country awaits the conclusion of elections that were held since March 2, 2020, but for which a winner is yet to be declared.
The Government’s standing was in fact on shaky ground long before that, after it fell to a no-confidence motion in 2018, but failed to call elections within the three-month time frame set out in the Constitution.
