Last Updated on Monday, 29 October 2018, 19:45 by Denis Chabrol
President David Granger goes to Cuba on Tuesday for a medical “investigation”, a senior government minister confirmed.
Coming on the heels of a terse announcement by the Guyana government with no stated reason for the trip, People’s National Congress Reform General Secretary, Amna Ally said the President is not expected to undergo surgery but is due for a medical test in Havana.
“I’m sure that you would have heard that he is not well and that he is going to do an investigation as to what might be his problem,” Ally told Demerara Waves Online News.
Ally said the President met with “all his PNC cabinet ministers” on Monday.
The Guyanese leader’s decision follows a private visit to Trinidad at the peak of severe flooding earlier this month. He and his wife had gone there earlier this year for what government had said had been an annual medical check-up. The President did not attend this year’s United Nations General Assembly, citing pressing issues at home.
Granger,73, is due to return to Guyana on November 11, which effectively means he will miss last-lap campaigning for Local Government Elections and will return to Guyana just in time to vote on November 12.
Ally said Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will be performing the duties of President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge will be performing the duties of Prime Minister.
In recent weeks, Granger appeared to have lost a few pounds and at times his speech has slurred while delivering public addresses.