Members of the diplomatic community today met with Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, at Parliament-days after he publicly criticised the Canadian High Commissioner and the United States Ambassador over the delay in convening a meeting crucial to the election of the opposition leader.
The Speaker’s remarks on Tuesday drew sharp criticism from local political actors and civil society groups, who accused him of undermining diplomatic norms.
While details of today’s meeting were not disclosed, US Ambassador Nicole Theriot told reporters that the engagement was initiated by a member of the diplomatic community and agreed to by the Speaker.
The Canadian High Commissioner Sebastien Sigouin also declined to provide specifics.
The meeting to elect the opposition leader has now been scheduled for Monday at 10:00 hours. Azruddin Mohamed, leader of We Invest in Nationhood, is the presumptive opposition leader, holding control of 16 of the 29 opposition seats in Parliament.