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FM
Former Member

These plonkers are stealing USD 72,000 per month...

PRESS RELEASE

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic is compelled to respond to a preposterous document titled “DOSSIER Guyana Elections 2020”, bearing the insignia of the APNU + AFC on its face which was prepared by a Michael Granger, and sent, via email, to Mr. Joseph Albertini, a principal of a US company called JJ&B LLC.

This “sanction-busting” company has been hired by the Government of Guyana, using public funds, to produce and disseminate an utterly erroneous narrative of what transpired in relation to the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections. All the accredited International and Local Observers (including the Organisation of America States (OAS), European Union (EU), the Commonwealth, the Carter Centre, Caricom, Amcham, the local Private Sector Commission, and the Guyana Bar Association), the Diplomatic Community, the Governments of the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean Community and the United Nations – all issued reports and public statements condemning the naked and vulgar attempts by the APNU/AFC, acting in collaboration with the Guyana Elections Commission, to declare false results for Region #4, the most populous of the ten electoral districts.

Several individual governments and international organisations have publicly stated that any government sworn in on the basis of these results which lack credibility, will not be recognized as a legitimate Government and would face sanctions.

The Chief Justice of the country also delivered a written judgment in litigation filed on behalf of the PPP/C, declaring the tabulation of the said Region 4 results, as fraudulent and illegal and directed that those results be tabulated in accordance with law. The relevant elections officer again refused to comply with the law and the Chief Justice’s Orders and declared fraudulent results a second time. The Elections Commission eventually but reluctantly, in the end, was forced to accept that these results were fraudulent and have unanimously decided to ignore these results and have a recount of the ballots done. Currently, the modalities for this recount are being agonizingly worked.
Despite the world knowing the uncomplicated truth about the rank fraud which permeated the declaration of the elections results for region 4, and in this period when our Nation is gripped with combatting the Covid-19 virus and the Government continuously pleading a lack of resources to confront this deadly dilemma, the Ministry of the Presidency is able to fork out some US$72,000 per month, to pay this lobbying firm and individuals to spread absolutely misleading information on behalf of the APNU/AFC, so that they can continue to hold on to power illegally and in defiance of the Constitution and every democratic principle known to the free world. The use of public funds to pay for the promotion of a party brief is not only in violation of the Procurement Act, but constitutes a fraud under the ordinary criminal laws of the country. The retained USA firm and its principals, who assisted in the preparation of this APNU/AFC Dossier may, therefore, be guilty of fraudulently misrepresenting to the USA Government that their client is the Government of Guyana when in fact, it is a political party.
This firm may now have not only implicated itself in a conspiracy to disseminate false information to US lawmakers but also may be implicated in a criminal enterprise to misappropriate public funds.
This document is nothing but a tissue of lies which descends to such levels as peddling and promoting ethnic, religious and racial hostilities. This is the dangerous extent to which these political tyrants are prepared to travel, so that they can continue to squat in government.

We comprehensively reject this diatribe and we are in the process of preparing a detailed response, not because the dishonest Dossier is worthy of it but only to set the public record straight.
People’s Progressive Party
April 15, 2020

#FreeSpeech #PPPC_Is_Back

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PPP accuses govt of spending taxpayers money to defend APNU+AFC in US; Harmon defends decision for govt, country

 

The Ministry of the Presidency, the venue for the post no-confidence talks between President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Wednesday accused government of spending thousands of United States (US) dollars of taxpayers’ money to pay an American lobbying firm to defend A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) against claims of electoral process, but  a top government official fired back, saying that government has a legitimate right to defend Guyana’s image.

In a document filed under the US Foreign Agents Restriction Act; the Washington DC. based JJ&B LLC, said “we will be contacting officials of the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. Government in order to seek resolution of disputes regarding Guyana’s recent presidential election, and in order to improve relations between Guyana and the United States. We also will be providing information to news media.”

The Guyana government’s decision to hire JJ&B LLC was done amidst persistently intense calls by the US, Britain, Canada, the Carter Centre, Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Commonwealth for Guyanese authorities to ensure a government is not sworn in based on non- credible election results or the country could face “consequences” including “isolation.”

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Headquaters- Freedom House.

Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Retired Lt. Col. Joseph Harmon said the David Granger-led administration would not stand idly by and allow its image and that of Guyana to be misrepresented by the PPP and its US-headquartered lobbyist, Mercury Public Affairs.

“As a government we have a duty to ensure our country is not portrayed as the PPP was trying to do.. We are an independent democratic country and our government respect the Constitution, live by the rule of law and abide by the decisions of our courts,” he told News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 FM/ Demerara Waves Online News.

Recalling that he had said government would have taken steps to deal with the PPP’s  “false narrative” and have Guyana’s case presented, the Director-General contended that government has a legitimate right to defend itself and the interest of the country.

The PPP accused the administration of violating the Procurement Act by spending huge sums of money to pay the lobbying firm and individuals to spread misleading information on behalf of APNU+AFC “so that they can continue to hold on to power illegally and in defiance of the Constitution and every democratic principle known to the free world.”

“The use of public funds to pay for the promotion of a party brief is not only in violation of the Procurement Act, but constitutes a fraud under the ordinary criminal laws of the country.  The retained USA firm and its principals, who assisted in the preparation of this APNU/AFC Dossier may, therefore, be guilty of fraudulently misrepresenting to the USA Government that their client is the Government of Guyana when in fact, it is a political party,” the PPP said.

But, Harmon accused the PPP of attempting to distract Guyanese. “They can argue red herrings The reality is that their false narrative is being corrected,” he said. He disputed the PPP’s claims that the Guyana government has so far paid US$72,000 to JJ&B LLC.

Director-General Harmon is named as the contact person at the Ministry of the Presidency who would be liaising with JJ&B LLC with which the contract took effect on 26th March, 2020.

The PPP, however, assailed government for finding much needed funds to pay JJ&B LLC while claiming that they had little cash to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. The opposition party said the APNU+AFC’s aim of hiring the lobbying firm was to defend itself against “rank fraud” concerning the declaration of election results for Region Four.

GECOM  up to Wednesday appeared set to finalise arrangements for the start of a national recount of the votes cast in the March 2, 2020 polls.

K

In 1992, Desmond Hoyte negotiated with Dr. Jagan not to send him to jail and agreed to hold a fair and free election.

Granger is doing the same.  Before he order GECOM to declare PPP/C the winner of the 2020 election, he wants assurances that his boys will not be jailed..

R

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