“CERTAINLY those statements don’t coincide with what I have observed of the President,” U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway said in response to an over 30-year-old WikiLeaks Cable which suggests that President David Granger is a racist. In an interview with Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, Ambassador Holloway said while he is unable to extensively speak on the leaked cable due to the fact that he only learnt of it earlier that day, he pointed out that the information is quite dated.

“It is something from over 30 years ago,” Ambassador Holloway pointed out, reiterating that the information presented does not match his personal observation of President Granger. However, he said, “Tomorrow I need to find out more.”
Another source at the U.S. Embassy has said that the cable is clearly the opinion of someone and should not be construed as the position of the United States Government.
“Granger was a young man then and an officer in the Guyana Defence Force, how much of an influence he had then?” the source asked.
Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) said it stands with President Granger as it rubbished the allegation.
“The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) dismisses the malicious publication of a United States (U.S.) diplomatic cable dated June 27, 1974, which labels the leader of our party and President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Brigadier David A. Granger a racist.”
The PNCR added: “President David Granger has dedicated his entire working life to public service and at all times a major pillar of his written works and his personal philosophy has been the pursuit of national unity. As leader of the PNCR, Brigadier Granger has articulated on numerous occasions that national unity is an imperative in Guyana’s current fragile political, social and economic circumstances.”
As the leader of a multi-party, multi-ethnic coalition, the President has travelled to all regions of this country preaching the gospel of social cohesion and racial harmony.
“President Granger is on record, that in a plural society like ours, there is a clear choice between the uplifting benefits of cooperation and the downside of destructive political competition,” the party said.
The party further emphasised that a glimpse into the work of the President, even before he entered office, would revealed his sincerity in the call for national unity, noting that his personal life and work clearly debunk the malicious and unfounded claim being peddled through the cable.
“The PNCR questions the wisdom of the publication of this dated U.S. Diplomatic Cable without a right of reply or any other supporting evidence.”
It was pointed out that in his address during PNCR’s 18th Biennial Delegates’ Congress in July 2014, Granger, then Leader of the Opposition, said the party was convinced that greater national unity was needed to bring greater national benefits such as elimination of one-party domination of the government; enhancement of local, municipal and parliamentary democracy; enlargement of multi-ethnic space and the elimination of ethnic insecurity; expansion of economic enterprise and development; and enrichment of cultural life, national consciousness and pride.
“This is the work we are engaged in; these are the ideals to which we aspire and, therefore, the party stands with President David A. Granger and will continue to work with him to build One Nation,” the PNC assured.