Luncheon, Hardt meeting today on controversial LEAD project

THE $300M USAID-funded Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project, which has stirred controversy since its rejection by the current Guyana Administration, is to be the subject of discussion today between Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, and United States (U.S.) Ambassador, Mr. Brent Hardt.

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US Ambassador Brent Hardt
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Dr Roger Luncheon

Dr Luncheon confirmed this yesterday at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference, held at Office of the President.

He said today’s scheduled meeting follows a communication to Hardt, making clear the Government’s position on the ongoing implementation of the programme.

At his previous press conference, on April 17, the HPS had said: “I do believe we have been specific on our position on this matter. It seems that we have either not been heard or not understood and, therefore, an effort must be made to characterise the Government’s position with the greatest degree of finality.”

Dr Luncheon, yesterday, declined to comment on whether or not the LEAD implementation was halted to facilitate today’s talks, given his firm stance that the Government of Guyana will not negotiate with the U.S. under duress.

He reiterated the Government’s commitment to re-engage in talks on the matter but stated that the Government will not discuss a rejected scheme whilst it is being implemented, despite strongly stated objections to it.

The HPS, yesterday, also clarified comments he made last week, in citing April 9 as the date that Hardt made “provoking” revelations in speaking about implementing the LEAD programme.

He said Hardt’s remarks were made on March 27, not April 9, but maintained they spoke to premeditation.

“Bad faith comes to mind immediately, readily, but non-disclosure of the continued implementation of the disapproved project, even in the midst of the fervor to have the bilateral engagement concluded to our mutual satisfaction, speaks of premeditation,” Dr Luncheon insisted last week.

According to him, the Guyana Government was horrified in discovering a project on conflict resolution, while, at the same time, the “one party” was implementing the components of a controversial project in its entirety.

The first component of it seeks to encourage consensus-building in the National Assembly and facilitate more effective interaction between the Assembly and citizens. The second component aims to strengthen the effectiveness of the National Assembly and boost citizen engagement with Parliament. The third aspect of LEAD is to motivate and better equip Guyanese youths to constructively engage in political and civic processes, and the fourth involves civic and voter education relating to elections and local government reform.

The consensus of several stakeholder groups which have registered concerns over the U.S. position on going ahead with LEAD is that it is recognised that the American organization – the International Republican Institute (IRI) – tasked with the implementing the project, also has a reputation for interference in the internal politics of a country.

STILL PROCEEDING
Government had written to the U.S. Ambassador seeking clarification following reports that components of the spurned USAID funded LEAD were still proceeding, despite the Administration’s objection to its design.

The response received from the U.S. Embassy called on the Government to engage the U.S. on parts of it such as the design and the last engagement on it was in April between Ambassador Hardt and President Donald Ramotar.

Additionally, prior to that April conversation with the Head of State, the U.S. Ambassador, at a Rotary event in February this year, said: “While we certainly do seek close and productive ties with governments, we are also reaching beyond governments to forge new partnerships with people and civic groups.

“…we are promoting an array of education exchanges, public outreaches, through new media such as Facebook, boosting entrepreneurism, working with young people, and supporting free and vibrant media outlets.”

To date, the U.S. Embassy has made no public statement with regard to the Government’s firm position on it.

In a prior interview, Presidential Advisor on Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira had said the current position of U.S. officials is a departure from the usual bilateral relations existing between the two countries.

She said: “The problem with the LEAD project is that it is a breach of the normal bilateral relations, as well as that the content has concerns for the Government, concerns which we expressed.

“This is the first time in 20 years that a project has not gone through that process. It has never happened between 1992 and 2012 and we are not agreeing to it because of the rejection of the Government’s participation.”

Teixeira was questioned why the Government was not involved in consultations on the undertaking.

She said the Guyana Government and the American Administration have worked together over the last decades on U.S. funded projects.

“It has always been a collaborative effort, in which we have agreed on a design of a project and the implementation of that project,” Teixeira remarked.

Referring to examples of unchallenged execution of projects that addressed the issue of democracy, she recalled: “I was part of other projects that dealt with democracy: the Consolidation of Democracy project, which ran from 2004 to 2006; and the more recent one, from 2009 to 2012, which dealt with trafficking in persons and violence against women and such.

SIGNED OFF
“In all of this, we sat with USAID and the U.S. Embassy to consult on the project over several days, some several weeks and we came to agreement and the projects were signed off,” Teixeira remembered.

She maintained, therefore, that the Government’s position has been made clear and remains unchanged in relation to LEAD.

“Were the LEAD project to have gone through the protocol over the last 20 years, we, probably, would have come to an agreement and fine-tuned the number of concerns we had, which we have had with other projects with USAID,” Teixeira speculated.

She said what was provided to Government was a “done deal” rejected primarily on that basis.

“The main problem is the way in which the project is being implemented,” Teixeira repeated.

The process was not approved by Cabinet and this was formally indicated to the relevant authorities on October 26, 2013.
By Vanessa Narine

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