By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira has deemed the newly appointed Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Nicole Giles’ comments on corruption locally as “unfortunate.”
A local newspaper on Thursday September 19 attributed statements to the new High Commissioner on the corruption issue.
According to the local newspaper, “the Canadian government hopes for a reduction in the levels of corruption and is looking for a more active public debate on issues of corruption resulting from increased awareness.”
At a post cabinet media briefing today Teixeira said, “I think it is unfortunate, for someone who is new and haven’t completed her rounds with all the government ministers, I think it is unfortunate that she would make such comments. ”
The Presidential Advisor addd, “this does not auger well for the Canada/ Guyana relations.” She however questioned whether what was reported by the newspaper was in fact what the woman said and meant.
The article titled: “Canadian Government sees need to fight corruption in Guyana” reported, “the Canadian government feels that there is a broad consensus in Guyana on the need to fight Corruption.”
The daily quoted Giles as saying, “one of the best ways to fight corruption is to shed light upon it… by shedding light on the issue of corruption and the role that everyone can play in fighting it.”
Giles is reported as saying that the Canadian which through its High Commission here was in part responsible for the erection of two bill boards saying “you can stop corruption”, is hoping to encourage a more proactive attitude as well as a sense of civic responsibility.
Guyana is signatory to two significant anti-corruption conventions: the Inter-American Convention against Corruption; and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), ratified in 2000 and 2008 respectively.
