• Tiwarie accused President of ‘impulsive dismissal’

Hours after Brian ‘BK’ Tiwarie called on President David Granger to revoke all advisory appointments, the President in a very sharp response, made it clear that his policies are not determined by Tiwarie.

“I wouldn’t respond to Mr. Tiwarie. Mr. Tiwarie doesn’t determine my policy and I’ll just leave it at that, I wouldn’t respond to Mr. Tiwarie,” President Granger told reporters Monday evening.

The mega-contractor and businessman is contending that President Granger’s decision to hack his appointment as advisor on business to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon was rash.

“It may well be that, in quieter time, the President may have an opportunity to reflect upon the propriety of impulsive decision-making,” BK said in a statement Monday.

According to Tiwarie, other Ministers, including Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, have made several such appointments, and those did not receive “sustained campaign and public outcry.”

Tiwarie suggested that President Granger should revoke those appointments as well. “Maybe in the interest of fairness, the President should revoke all of those (appointments) too, and for the very reason given when he acted impulsively in revoking the appointment at a time when Minister Harmon was out of the country.

Tiwarie disclosed in the statement that his recent trip to China with Minister Harmon was just a matter of coincidence.

Tiwarie issued a lengthy statement on the controversy which has caused the Alliance For Change (AFC) to call for Minister Harmon to be stripped of some of his power.

Acknowledging that they had travelled to China together, Tiwarie is nevertheless contending that they each had their own business to transact.

“We find absolutely nothing wrong with that,” he declared, and disclosed that his relationship with Harmon dates back to way before Harmon had become a Minister.

Tiwarie said his services were not paid services, since he was doing it “pro bono.”

Attacking sections of the media for reporting “inaccurately” on his appointment, Tiwarie accused Glenn Lall, publisher of Kaieteur News, of having a personal vendetta against him. Kaieteur News had broken the story about Tiwarie’s appointment; and once it had come to light, the President’s Office issued a one-line statement saying it was rescinded.

“The campaign that has been waged uninterruptedly in the press, led by Kaieteur News and The Guyana Chronicle mainly, has sought to portray this so-called appointment as an improper act committed by the Minister, and has falsely and repeatedly stated that Mr. Tiwarie was appointed Advisor to the Government. This is simply not true. It is a complete fabrication”, a statement from BK International noted.

Once closely associated with the former PPP government, Tiwarie made it clear that he was never appointed as the Adviser to the Government, nor was he appointed Adviser to the Minister of Business.

“The fact of the matter is that Minister Harmon ‘appointed’ Mr. Tiwarie as his personal advisor on business. This he is entitled to do, and by virtue of Mr. Tiwarie’s business acumen, such an “appointment” can be seen as nothing else but legitimate decision. Needless to say, Mr. Tiwarie’s efforts in this capacity are pro bono”, the BK statement continued.

“The truth of the matter is that a political struggle is underway between various elements in high places, and the Tiwarie so-called appointment is being used by many to achieve their objectives.

“He (Harmon) is rightfully perceived as quiet, powerful, and influential even more than the now famous Luncheon; and this has provoked the struggle for power, for influence, for turf”, the BK statement contends.

It was further revealed that BK International and Tiwarie are supporters of the present Government, and “have every right to do so in the interest of the development of our beloved nation. This is the right and duty of every Guyanese”, the BK statement adumbrated.

“BK International will continue to support the Government, as it has recently done in the matter of Durban Park development. All Guyanese, all businessmen, and all companies have a right to contribute to public projects if they so wish. This is not a crime.  This is not corruption. It is called patriotism”, the BK statement advised.

The statement noted that while the subject of corruption continues to be on the front burner of discussions nationally, BK International continues to be a firm supporter of any effort to counter or stamp out corrupt practices, which have, in the past, affected its operations.

“We strongly believe that when politicians are at war, they must avoid dragging in innocent parties unrelated to their apparent power struggles,” the BK statement concluded.

The controversial appointment has caused the Alliance For Change (AFC) to call for Minister Harmon to be stripped of some of his power. The AFC had joined with the other opposition parties that comprise the APNU (A Partnership for National Unity) to oust the PPP from office in the May 2015 general elections. The AFC leaders in the Cabinet are expected to raise this issue for discussion, though it is unclear whether those issues will be raised at today’s session.