Gov’t will not negotiate under duress with US officials – HPS
Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon has indicated that Government will not be negotiating the controversial governance project proposed by USAID under duress with United States of America officials.
Addressing the issue during his weekly post- Cabinet briefing today, Dr Luncheon stated, “We ain’t negotiating under duress. We are not discussing a project and its implementation whilst it’s being implemented.”
The Cabinet Secretary stated that government’s disagreement of the project which it has opposed after consideration remains unchanged, said, “It doesn’t enjoy the support, it doesn’t find favour with the Government of Guyana”.
It was disclosed that government is in the process of crafting a response to an official note which was dispatched to the US State Department via Ambassador Dr Brent Hardt and responded to, earlier this week.
Government had written to the Ambassador seeking clarification following reports that aspects of the rejected USAID Leadership and Democracy Project were still being implemented, despite the administration’s objection to its design. The response received from the US embassy called on government to engage the US on aspects, such as the design, of the project, according to Dr Luncheon. The response neither indicated that Government’s concerns were noted or that the project will be abandoned or halted.
Government’s official response will be communicated to the US officials before the end of this week, he added.
“We need to have a discussion, the administration feels it is not an insurmountable matter, and we must find ways to address the issue, but we will not hold discussions while the project is ongoing,” Dr Luncheon reiterated.
The move by USAID to implement various aspects of the projects has been described as an affront to Guyana’s sovereignty by the Cabinet Secretary. He had stated previously that, “It is essentially a challenge by the US ambassador in one, acknowledging that he, they have ignored Cabinet’s disapproval, they have disregarded Cabinet’s disapproval and are implementing elements of this project, not in any guise of having a discourse on the matter, but just to inform the government through the media of what position has been adopted by the American authorities”.
The views by some sections of society that the governance project should be entertained and even implemented due to its perceived importance is not the main issue, Dr. Luncheon had said.
“It is not about the project and the US$1.2 million that we’re going to lose, it is not that. Cabinet made a decision, a definitive decision that is where the matter ought to have ended!”
The USAID project was not approved by Cabinet and this was formally indicated to the relevant authorities on October 26, 2013. Unconfirmed reports later indicated that USAID project activities were being implemented, and Cabinet wrote a letter to the US Ambassador, requesting clarity on the matter.
On December 19, a meeting was convened among President Donald Ramotar, Dr. Luncheon and Ambassador Hardt. It was noted by Dr. Luncheon that, “The ambassador was not categorical in affirming to the president and myself that “yes, indeed, I have received confirmation that Cabinet’s disapproval, not withstanding which the Americans authorities have indeed continued to implement elements of the project. He was not categorical in making those two assertions”.
The next day, the Stabroek News quoted the same ambassador as saying that the USAID project was being implemented despite the embassy being in receipt of the formal correspondence from Cabinet voicing its disapproval.
The Government of Guyana has benefitted from what has been described as a healthy engagement with the USA through its USAID programme, according to the Cabinet Secretary over the years, but the actions concerning this specific project and the apparent move by USAID, to challenge the authority of the state have been viewed as “baffling and perplexing”.