Coalition Govt. hires US PR firm to “change narrative” about 2020 elections

Apr 16, 2020 News

The incumbent government, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), has contracted a US Lobbying Firm, JJ&B LLC with public funds in an attempt to defend its image to the international community. The Coalition said that its reputation is being tarnished by the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) through its public relations agent, Mercury Public Affairs.

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Retired Lt. Col. Joseph Harmon

The government has relentlessly insisted that condemnation from the international community of the controversial Region Four results tabulation has been orchestrated by the PPP and its public relations firm.
A series of documents were yesterday seen online detailing the agreement between government and the firm entered into on March 31, 2020.
In one of the documents, filed under the US Foreign Agents Restriction Act, the Washington-based JJ&B LLC outlined that the firm will be “seeking to facilitate resolution of disputes regarding the recent presidential election in Guyana, and to improve relations between Guyana and the United States.”
The applicant was listed as Michael Granger, an US Investment Advisor.
Further, the document stated that, “in doing this, we will be contacting officials in the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. Government, as well as providing information to news media.”
The agreement outlined that the company was hired on a part-time basis and has been paid an initial retainer fee of US$40,000.
Additionally, government also submitted a 147 page Dossier “Guyana Elections 2020” to the firm which detailed its account of events that transpired from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections onwards.
In that document, a selective chronology of events surrounding Guyana’s 2020 Elections was given and other forms of information the party saw pertinent to be included.
Kaieteur News understands that the decision to hire the lobbying firm was reportedly taken after the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections fiasco which led to an intense call for international sanctions and the ex-communication of Guyana by the US, Britain, Canada, the Carter Centre, Organisation of American States and the Commonwealth.
The statements issued by the international community all urged the authorities to ensure that a government is not sworn into office on the basis of flawed results.
Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Retired Lt. Col. Joseph Harmon, defended the hire and relayed to this publication that “as a government, we have a duty to ensure our country is not portrayed as the PPP was trying to do.”
Harmon told Kaieteur News that “we are an independent democratic country and our government respects the Constitution, lives by the rule of law and abides by the decisions of our courts.”
The Coalition also posted on its Facebook page, that it would be “irresponsible” for President David Granger to allow misinformation to be peddled, which led to a “false narrative to be perpetuated.”
Kaieteur News had reported that the opposition hired Mercury Public Affairs last year to represent its interests with the international community ahead of elections.
Opposition leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, had stated that the lobbyist firm will provide strategic consulting and management services to issues facing the client in the areas of government relations and issues management.
The expected services for that arrangement were the facilitation of meetings between the party’s executive branch and the Congress of the United States, the Organisation of American States, which links in connection with issues relating to the General and Regional Elections, which took place. The contract had since been renewed several times.

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