US pursues project despite Govt objection – Dr. Luncheon

Apr 20, 2014 News

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr. Roger Luncheon has expressed in no uncertain terms that Government will not be re-engaging talks with the United States as it pertains to their (US) initiated Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project under “duress”.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon

The project, which the US through it Ambassador to Guyana Brent Hardt, has pursued without the consent and blessings of Government has now incited the Head of the Presidential Secretariat to state that Government will not be coerced into engaging with the project when it is already being implemented.
Luncheon said, “Non disclosure of their continued implementation of the disapproved project, even in the midst their fervor to have the bilateral engagements conclude to our mutual satisfaction, speaks of pre meditation.”
“I am certain that you would share our horror to discover that discussing the project and what to do in the face on the conflict and at the same time one party is busy implementing in its entirety activities under the project,” said Dr Luncheon.
According to Dr Luncheon the posture taken by the US Ambassador and by extension the US Government is not a healthy one, more so within the context of the bilateral relationship between the Government of Guyana and the Government of the United States, “one can indeed question exactly what is the value of the American ambassador, the American administration, what is the value they put on maintaining and even promoting a sound bilateral engagement and relationship.”
He added that the implementation of activities by the American side in the face of Government’s disproval depending on the severity will have a “decisive impact on our bilateral relations.”
The HPS articulated that Government has been very clear about its position on the matter. He said that it seems that they have not been heard or probably misunderstood. “Therefore in my own thinking the effort has to be made to characterize the government’s position to the greatest degree of finality, this is the government’s position and that is what I will be undertaking on my return to office and in my anticipated engagements with the US authority,” said Luncheon.
The US LEAD project outline encapsulates among other things, that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is developing a programme to strengthen democratic institutions in Guyana. Through this programme, USAID is seeking to strengthen the democratic functioning and characteristics of political parties and the National Assembly through the provision of technical assistance.
The objectives outlined are to enhance the technical capacity and functionality of the legislature through the regular use of consultative practices and mechanisms for legislative drafting, analysis, review, and passage.

US Ambassador to Guyana Brent Hardt

The programme should further reinforce democratic governance in Guyana by broadening political participation through more representative and competitive multi-party engagements. This programme will include a particular focus on women and youth.
Dr. Luncheon had described some of the objections made by Cabinet as it relates to the project.
He said previously that the four components of the project were analyzed by Cabinet and one contained major activities that captured a relationship between USAID and individual political parties in Guyana.
This, he said, was a source of concern, given that Guyana does not have a public policy by Government for the support for political parties.
He said that there is nothing like that in the law nor in practice and the Americans through the project “invited a profoundly sensitive issue.”
Dr. Luncheon had said that this is something that has not been dealt with by any post-independent Guyana Government and further “for us represented a usurpation of our authority.”
He said that this was drawn to the attention of USAID which was asked to make the overtures and activities to be a relationship between institutions such as Parliament or the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and not parties.
This US LEAD project has been an ongoing issue between the US ambassador and Government and one for which the combined opposition (A Partnership for National Unity APNU and Alliance For Change AFC) have registered support.
According to Luncheon, “We reiterate our commitment made when this controversy surfaced, commitment to re engage bilaterally on the project, commitment that was not open ended we did say, we did emphasize that we would not be re-engaging under duress…
“We are not prepared to discuss a project and its components at the very same time that the project and it components are being implemented.”