-says implementation was a departure from protocol

THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP), yesterday, welcomed suspension of the $300M United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project.The ruling party, in a statement, said it is strongly of the view that the action taken by the United States Ambassador, Mr Brent Hardt, is a clear departure from protocols and conventions governing inter-state relations, and therefore deserves the full condemnation of the Guyanese people and their elected leaders.

“…it is the hope of the PPP that the good and friendly relations between Guyana and the United States will continue to grow and deepen within the parameters of mutual respect and cooperation, notwithstanding the lack of consensus on some elements of the LEAD Project and its implementation mode,” the PPP stated.

It said the decision to suspend the project will provide the parties involved with enough space to revisit the project and find common ground on how best it could advance the stated objectives of leadership and democracy to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

“…in this regard, the Party is pleased with the decision taken by the parties involved to put the project on hold, and commends the PPP/C administration for the resolute manner in which it represented the issue, and for the successful halt to the project until a mutual resolution could be found,” the PPP said.

The announcement to suspend the project was made during a news conference held at the Office of the President on Thursday, at which the Government of Guyana and the United States Embassy issued a joint statement.

The statement read: “The Governments of Guyana and the United States of America have agreed that the implementation of the activities of the USAID LEAD project would be put on hold temporarily, during the re-engagement on the design of that project (which) the two sides have agreed would commence immediately.”

2009 REFERENCE
The PPP also blasted Ambassador Hardt for misrepresenting the facts when he said that the project was approved by the Guyana Government.

The statement said, “The PPP has also noted with disgust the repeated attempts made by Ambassador Hardt to refer to the provisions of the 2009 Government of Guyana/USAID agreement in justification of the stance taken by the US Government to go ahead with the project.

“The fact of the matter, as pointed out by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Luncheon, is that at no time was the project the subject of any agreement between the Government and USAID.

“In fact, the Government has always insisted that the project was conceived, designed and implemented without the concurrence, approval or any input whatsoever from the administration.”

At Thursday’s news conference, Ambassador Hardt maintained his contention that moving ahead with the project despite the Guyana Government’s objections was done based on an agreement reached in 2009, although he did acknowledge that it was not on the LEAD project itself.

He said, “Everything that has been developed was fixed within the framework agreed in 2009. This is not to say that this is an agreement we have come to on LEAD, but a framework of assistance on governance and democracy that we agreed to and signed off on in 2009.
“I think we always felt comfortable that the programmes we have developed have been part of illustrated activities in the 2009 agreement…. It never seemed to me we were operating outside of our traditional framework.”

The Government of Guyana and USAID, through the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, signed an agreement titled ‘Governing Justly and Democratically’. This was done in September 2009, and Ambassador Hardt contends that the LEAD project’s features are captured in that agreement.

That contention has been refuted by senior Government officials, including Dr. Luncheon and Presidential Advisor on Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira.

UNFORTUNATE MOVE
The ruling party also addressed the revocation of the visa and work permit of International Republican Institute (IRI) resident Country Director Glenn Bradbury, noting that it was “unfortunate” that Government had to resort to that measure.

Nevertheless, Government pointed out that such a decision must be seen in the context of USAID’s non-adherence to, and violation of, the country’s immigration laws and regulations.

The statement said, “The PPP is hopeful that the lessons of this episode will serve to safeguard against any future recurrence, and that the preferred and tested method of consultation, concurrence and reason will form the basis of any future engagement.
“The Party has taken note of attempts by some Opposition elements to blow the issue out of proportion in an attempt to score cheap political points.”

Bradbury was responsible for implementation of the controversial LEAD project, and although his privileges were revoked just over two weeks ago, he remains in Guyana. Whether or not he is still working has to be clarified, despite the fact that the revocation was intended to be immediately effective.

INSULTING
The ruling party concluded that the “unwelcome intrusion” by USAID in pursuing the LEAD programme despite strong objections by the Guyana Government was both unnecessary and unwarranted.

It said, “It represented not only an insult to the people of Guyana, but a clear case of violation of the country’s sovereign rights to determine its own affairs, which is a fundamental right of all nations as enshrined in the United Nations Charter.”

The project was, however, not approved by Cabinet, and that was formally indicated to the relevant authorities on October 26, 2013.

The first component of the programme seeks to encourage consensus building in the National Assembly, and facilitate more effective interaction between the Assembly and citizens. The second aims to strengthen the effectiveness of the National Assembly and boost citizen engagement with Parliament.

The third aspect of LEAD seeks to motivate and better equip Guyanese youths to constructively engage in political and civic processes; and the fourth component involves civic and voter education relating to elections and local government reform.

Government’s main contention with the project was the way it was being implemented. Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, noted that the decision to move to re-engagement, not under duress, was essentially what was being sought from the U.S. Embassy in Guyana.

“Beyond the content of the LEAD project, the process is what the Government objected to. We continue to insist that the Government has not been a party to the design and the activities of the project…. It is that which is fundamentally the bone of contention,” Dr. Luncheon stressed.

“…what essentially we have had to deal with, which I believe has been resolved, is the process of re-engagement not under duress. This is essentially what we sought…. Indeed, we have achieved what we have sought — to have the implementation halted while we engage,” he added.

At the end of yesterday’s meeting, Dr. Luncheon and US Ambassador Hardt agreed to continue discussions next week, with a view to charting a way forward for the benefit of the people of Guyana.