Ruling party’s PM candidate resigns from top Foreign Affairs post ; PPP denies sheltering her from media

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 February 2015, 22:11 by GxMedia

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Tuesday announced that its Prime Ministerial Candidate, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, has resigned as Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“My information is that she has already done so (resigned),” said party General Secretary, Clement Rohee.  He also denied strenuously that the career diplomat was being sheltered from being questioned by the private and publicly owned media.

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said Director the Department of the Americas, Ambassador Audrey Waddell is acting Director General.

Against the background of Harper not saying anything to the media during the announcement last Saturday and politely declining media interviews afterwards, Rohee brushed off several questions that she was being kept away from the media limelight. “I take objection to put it rather strongly and firmly that the party is sheltering Mrs. Harper,” said Rohee. He said Harper would be on the campaign trail.

The PPP official said his party was not going with the pace of the media but with that of his party’s campaign, and that Harper would face the media when the party deems fit. “The media will have the opportunity at the appropriate time to meet with our prime ministerial candidate to have an engagement with her,” said Rohee.

Ambassador Harper, he said, would have to decide “in her own right” whether she would be interviewed with one or more individuals. 

Instead of speaking with the media, Harper opted to seemingly respond to her critics in a mildly couched post on her Facebook.