President Irfaan Ali today appeared to be softening on his long-held position that he will only meet with Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon if Mr. Harmon publicly acknowledges his government as legitimate.

 The two men have not held formal discussions since Mr. Ali was sworn in more than a year ago.

 There are a number of top judicial and other appointments to be made that must involve consultation with the Opposition Leader. At his press conference today, the president said he will have to fulfill his mandate in keeping with the Constitution and he recognizes that there is no precondition to that.

“There is no precondition to fulfilling my mandate in accordance with the Constitution but there is an issue— and this is outside of that mandate in relation to my Constitutional role, where you have someone who is continuously saying that this government is illegitimate, so he has a moral problem,” the President.

Earlier this week, Deputy Speaker Lennox Shuman wrote to the President encouraging him to meet with Mr. Harmon on the appointments of a substantial Chancellor, Chief Justice, Police Commissioner and Chief of Staff.

Mr. Shuman reminded the President that his administration has been in office for over a year and despite the mountain of calls to make the substantive appointments, there has been no movement in that regard.

The President today said the matter at hand is about doing what the Constitution requires and not because someone told him to do so.

He said it will be up to the Opposition Leader to explain why he is meeting with someone who he deems to be illegitimate.

“Whatever the constitution requires me to do I will do. I have no hesitation in doing that,” the President declared.

The President has been coming under growing pressure, including from international partners, for him to begin engaging with the Opposition on national issues.

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