Following strong condemnation from the United States (US) Embassy in Guyana on the honouring of former Member of Parliament and convicted terrorist, Abdul Kadir in the National Assembly last Friday, the Government of Guyana has put out a statement registering its “regret” about how the motion was interpreted.
Kadir was sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States after he was found guilty of plotting a 2007 terrorist attack at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Today, the US condemned the motion that was passed last Friday, calling it “insensitive and thoughtless.”
The US further said that this will leave a stain on Guyana’s legacy.
However, the government is saying, “It is well known that there is a time-honoured convention of the National Assembly to observe, in a standard and solemn form, the work of former members who are deceased. The observance of this tradition has never been selective, and has included, over the decades, persons of all political parties and persuasions who served in the National Assembly.”
Government’s statement said that it “regrets the interpretation given to the motion passed in the National Assembly on April 26 on the death of Abdul Kadir, a former Member of Parliament.”
The statement continued, “The Government of Guyana asserts that it had no intention of conveying the impression that the motion was designed to honour a former MP convicted of terrorism in another jurisdiction. The motion recognises the member’s service as a parliamentarian. The Government of Guyana continues to condemn terrorism in the strongest possible way. The Government of Guyana reaffirms its commitment to continue and intensify the fight against terrorism in any form and is proud of its record to date in this regard.”
