GGMC team clinched Exxon pact –Trotman

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman yesterday distanced himself from negotiating the modified ExxonMobil contract last year saying it was a team of professionals that conducted the discussions and even in hindsight his government is satisfied with the terms reached. “I know there is a belief that Raphael Trotman sat in a room and negotiated this. I am a lawyer for 27 years standing, I have a Master’s Degree in which negotiations was one of the subjects I had to pass, I graduated with distinction and I have been trained as a negotiator and mediator by Harvard Law School, but I did not take it upon myself to do so,” Trotman said yesterday. “The country in the past has relief on the technical staff of the GGMC…Mr Newell Dennison (Commissioner of GGMC) and his team were the principal negotiators (of the Exxon petroleum agreement),” he added. The Minister of Natural Resources joined Minister of State Joseph Harmon at a post-Cabinet press conference yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency where he answered questions on the controversial contract agreement signed with ExxonMobil last year. The agreement was released a day earlier at the same location in the presence of President David Granger. Cummings-Edwards is being considered for the substantive post of Chief Justice. Justice Roxane George, SC is currently the acting Chief Justice. Both women were appointed in March this year as part of a temporary arrangement between Granger and Jagdeo. Their predecessors, Justices Carl Singh and Ian Chang SC both retired without being substantively appointed Chancellor and Chief Justice, respectively. The meeting was at Jagdeo’s request rescheduled for Wednesday January 3 since he was unavailable. The Leader of the Opposition noted that the résumés of the two individuals were delivered with the invitation.