Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Harmon contradicts Ramjattan on Carter Center’s approval
It appears that government is unclear who denied the approval for the Carter Center’s Observer Mission’s flight into Guyana for the ongoing national recount.
L-r- Carter Center team members, Carlos Valenzuela; former Prime Minister of Senegal and Co-leader of the Carter Center team, Dr. Aminata Touré; Chair of the Carter Center’s Board of Trustees, Jason Carter and team member, Brett
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Joseph Harmon has contradicted what was uttered by Coalition’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan, on Friday.
Ramjattan had told reporters that the decision on the accredited Observer Mission’s return to Guyana was ‘above him’; that the request was not directly made to the Task Force but to incumbent President David Granger.
However, Harmon relayed to the press that it was the Task Force which denied the approval when they were informed ‘last minute’ that observers would be aboard the flight.
According to Harmon, “first of all, when the application was made, the application was made for an aircraft to come and then at the last minute, we were advised that the Carter Center team will be on the aircraft.”
A request was made by the US Embassy and the Carter Center for a flight on May 4, to transport U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and those who wish to return to or transit to their homes along with observers from the Carter Center and the International Republican Institute (IRI).
“The aircraft to pick up people in Guyana, it came with a crew not passengers and the crew had to satisfy our COVID requirements once it arrived here. It was not a matter of picking up people who are here. The plane was chartered to pick US citizens here, which are my understanding.”
Permission was granted for the flight but the observers were not permitted entry into Guyana by the Task Force, the Carter Center and the US Embassy had said.
The request was then forwarded to the ‘highest levels’ of the Presidency, meaning the incumbent President David Granger.
Harmon stated permission was granted for the aircraft and the crew to land in Guyana.
“We didn’t say take them off or we didn’t say that they should come. What we learnt is that when the aircraft arrived here, that they were not here.”
“What we said to the Carter Center is that we are in a COVID environment and that we could not basically allow for an aircraft to come here which did not qualify under the conditions for the COVID arrangements.”
He pointed out that the Observer Mission can reapply to enter Guyana but their application must “go through the right process.”
This includes being tested for the virus in their origin country and presenting a valid certificate providing proof of their test. If this is not adhered to, they would be subjected to the mandatory 14 day quarantine period upon landing in Guyana.
“We have absolutely nothing against the Carter Center,” Harmon told reporters.
“The Carter Center has been coming here since ‘92 and they have always done an excellent job. What we are saying is that there was a process that had to be followed and that is what we insisted on.”
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