THE commemoration of the 238th Independence Anniversary of the United States of America (USA), held at the Cummings Lodge residence of outgoing US Ambassador, Dr Brent Hardt last evening, was the stage for a major showdown between himself and the Government of Guyana.

US Ambassador Brent Hardt, speaking at last night’s event, where he again called for local government elections

 

A section of the gathering at last night’s event held at the US Ambassador’s Cummings Lodge residence

 

Ambassador Brent Hardt with a group of youths who attended last evening’s event (Photos by Adrian Narine)

 

Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Priya Manickchand, despite being heckled at the instigation of local PR man, Alex Graham, and denied the use of a nearby speaker by Alliance For Change (AFC)’s Nigel Hughes, pressed on with her presentation, in which she took Hardt to task for “creating tensions” between Guyana and the US, and for the position he takes on many a local issue, positions she deemed hypocritical, considering the position taken by the US itself.

“The rule of law and democracy is not only about Local Government Elections, which I am confident the Guyanese people will resolve in the very near future, but must be practised by all who preach it at all times,” Manickchand said in an eight-and-a-half-minute speech in the wake of a blasting of the Government from Hardt on the delayed hosting of Local government elections.

Manickchand said there exists a red line in diplomatic relations, and Hardt has crossed that red line.

She made no bones about the fact that diplomatic relations demand a commitment to accuracy, referring to misconceptions peddled on the hosting of local government elections.

US DOMINATION
The Acting Foreign Affairs Minister underscored what she termed the “US hegemony” and its consequences, which she said were lived by the Guyanese people.

She said, “Guyana has been at one stage where US hegemony (domination) has played out, and the 1950s and 1960s events live long in the memory of Guyanese.

“…less than three years ago, the Ambassador (Hardt) was made welcome in Guyana. In those three years, Ambassador Hardt has contributed to a tension-filled relationship with the Government of Guyana. These areas of tense relationship have attracted considerable effort on our part to address multiple times, without much success.”

Manickchand referred to comments made by Hardt at a recent event hosted by the local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Blue Caps, where he lashed out at the Head of State, President Donald Ramotar, stating that President Ramotar said the reason for not assenting to one of the Local Government Bills was because it was unconstitutional, but at the same time the Guyanese leader was not upholding the constitution as far as those polls are concerned.

“He cannot be an inconsistent defender of the Constitution, ignoring the Constitution’s very clear requirement to hold Local Government elections and, for that matter, to return Bills to Parliament no more than 21 days after they are sent to him,” the US Ambassador had said at the time.

For Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Manickchand, he had gone too far this time. “He has, in our view,” she said, “gone beyond the boundaries of professionalism and diplomacy. For a professional service officer to make such declarations, allegations and accusations and innuendos about the Executive President of Guyana, or of any country for that matter, is, to our minds, totally unacceptable; this situation is intolerable.

“The ambassador has been associated with a dedicated attack on the President and on the Government…. The Ambassador has been supported in this ill-conceived venture by the Opposition section of the media and (by) his colleagues in the diplomatic corps.”

She also stated that Hardt seems plagued by a misunderstanding of the Bill, and noted that he ought to have consulted the experts in the area, rather than make blind statements.

“The Ambassador’s behaviour is totally unacceptable. It is this Government’s pledge that it will not accept this,” Manickchand said.

She maintained that while the Ambassador, at the same Blue Caps event, lauded the focus placed on principles of democracy by the US, Guyanese know better.

“All of us here are duly reminded of America’s move to democratize the world…. The people of Guyana lived those consequences until today. Those consequences question the ambassador’s moral correctness in lecturing Guyana,” the Acting Foreign Affairs Minister said.

Manickchand was unapologetic in stressing that the ambassador’s actions warrant “immediate repudiation”

HYPOCRITICAL POSITIONS
The Acting Foreign Affairs Minister also stated that, for all the positions advanced by Ambassador Hardt, the positions taken by the US indicate another story.

She said, “For a very long time we have lacked free and fair elections. Thanks to your (the US), good record keeping and the declassification of documents, we have confirmed that those elections were intentionally prevented by external forces, effectively retarding the development of Guyana’s democratic process for many decades.

“Unfortunately, we had few Brent Hardts back then, who would speak with the same passion against the governments who undermined the democratic process in Guyana.

“…we have a situation today where the international rule-making by powerful countries is anything but democratic. The Securities Council is an excellent example of the lack of democracy. There appears to be little appetite for democracy by those who control that Council for reform.”

Manickchand pointed out that the US indeed has established itself as a global superpower, and makes use of that advantage in its dealing with other nations – a practice that represents nothing democratic.

“Even though we (Guyana) are an independent nation, not a colony of any state, laws made in the United States of America apply in our country. We are advised that if we do not comply we will be sanctioned,” she said.

The Minster referred to the recent law passed by the US, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which was passed by the US and requires compliance from countries like Guyana.

“There is no consultation with any of our countries before that law was passed, but we have to comply. Our banks in Guyana will soon have to provide information to the United States Government on bank accounts held by US citizens in this country. We do not have the strength or the power (to fight)…we have to comply,” she said.

Manickchand highlighted that threats of sanctions accompany non-compliance with this law, when the US itself refuses to abide with international rulings.

“She said, “The law-abiding Antigua and Barbuda has secured a ruling against the US by the WTO, the World Trade Organisation, but is still waiting for the United States of America to abide by that ruling. (It is) needless to say that the small Antigua and Barbuda cannot apply sanctions.”

The Acting Foreign Affairs Minster was unapologetic in reiterating that Hardt, with his many controversial comments, has advanced tension between the US and Guyana, and has peddled hypocritical positions from a platform no less than that of an Ambassadorial office.

At the end of her stinging assault, Hardt responded, “What a sendoff.” Soon after, Manickchand who was accompanied to the event by Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira, left. In attendance were other Members of Parliament (MPs), members of the diplomatic corps, members of the private sector and a cross section of representatives from local NGOs and civil society.