THE Alliance For Change (AFC) has denied it was ever consulted on the appointment of businessman Brian Tiwarie as an honorary ministerial advisor.In a brief statement, the coalition member said that at no time was any of its leaders aware of the appointment of Mr Tiwarie as ministerial advisor prior to the public revelation.

The AFC contends that, following the public revelation of same, party Leader Khemraj Ramjattan raised the issue with President David Granger and the party supported the President’s decision to rescind the appointment.

“The party was only aware of the appointments of the following persons as Diaspora advisors: Dr Rohan Somar, Ron Alert, Ewart Marshall and Tameshwar Lilmohan. These appointments were widely reported in the media. The AFC had also recommended Mr Floyd Haynes for similar Diaspora advisor appointment, but is to date unaware if this was done. The party reiterates that it was not consulted or informed of any advisor appointments other than those listed above,” the statement concluded.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in a statement on Thursday, said he did not make the decision to appoint businessman Brian Tiwarie as a ministerial advisor all by himself, but through consultation with the AFC and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

According to Mr Harmon, after the General and Regional Elections of 2015, many persons who had indicated their deep interest in assisting the Government and fulfilling its campaign promises were appointed to various positions. He noted that some of those persons were not interested in formal employment or receiving remuneration, but were willing to contribute.

“After some consultation, during which the Minister of Public Security (Khemraj Ramjattan) and the Minister of Natural Resources (Raphael Trotman) gave advice, it was agreed that such persons should be appointed as Honorary Ministerial Advisors, and that a certificate entitled ‘Instrument of Appointment… Ministerial Adviser’ would be issued,” Harmon said.

Both Ramjattan and Trotman are founding members of the AFC.

Harmon added: “Over the period October 6, 2015 to February 8, 2016, 34 persons were identified on the recommendation of the Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), the General-Secretary of the Peoples National Congress (PNC), and the General-Secretary of A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the instruments were accordingly issued. Some of these appointments, particularly in the diaspora, received wide publicity. Mr Brian Tiwarie, upon the recommendation of the General-Secretary of the APNU, was one such person identified and issued with an instrument.”

Subsequent to the appointment of Mr Tiwarie, the Minister of State was advised by President Granger, who was not aware of all the appointees, that he (Granger) was not in agreement with the appointment.

APNU+AFC coalition supporters, on learning of the appointment, criticised the administration, with many contending that the decision was a poor one. Mr Tiwarie was criticised by the APNU, when it was in opposition, for work it deemed not up to standard.

On his part, Mr Tiwarie, in a statement, has accused Glenn Lall, publisher of Kaieteur News, of having a personal vendetta against him. Kaieteur News had broken the story about Tiwarie’s appointment.

“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 statement from Tiwarie has said.

President Granger, in noting his disagreement with the appointment of the businessman, ordered that his appointment be rescinded, and this was done on March 24.

“I agreed with the decision of His Excellency and his rationale for rescinding the appointment,” Harmon concluded in his statement.