The recent appointment of Deron Grant as Honorary consul to Oman have apparently sparked debate as to why he was appointed.
But in a swift response, Prime Minister Gonsalves on Thursday speaking on WEFM asked if he should appoint someone who would undermine the Government.
“I must have someone appointed as Honorary Consul who wants to sabotage and undermine the Government”.
“I ask that simple question”, Gonsalves said to radio host Donnie Collins.
“Now, Deron is an accomplished young man, Deron you know he started on the yes program here, very well respected in Oman”.
Gonsalves said as far as he is aware Grant is not a member of the Unity Labour Party, but if he were that would not disqualify him.
“Look at the interest this young man is showing in so many things, the Zero Hunger Trust Fund, for instance, I noticed that he give Ten Thousand Dollars or so last year, and he has given Five Thousand this year, and he came with a number of things dealing with tennis, lawn tennis”.
“Now we have to await the response from Oman because you say to them, we have done all the vetting of this person, we would like to send this person to you, is this person acceptable to you, that is what happens with Honorary Consul”.
Gonsalves said there is a gentleman whom Sir James had appointed Honorary Consul in Egypt who still acts in that role today.
“We have changed some of them, but a number of them from the NDP time, we still have them as Honorary Consul”.
Gonsalves said Dr Christopher Stange who is Honorary Consul to Northern Ireland is an English man who lives in Northern Ireland.
Gonsalves told Collins a lot of the internet crazies want to move from the status of “the Internet Crazy to your Excellency”.
Gonsalves said this man from the East referring to himself has been around a while and knows how the school is keeping, to which he chuckled.
By Ernesto Cooke