Dear Editor:
I REFER to Nigel Dharamlall PPP’s press release about Mr Rueben Khushial and Mr Jeewan A Persaud dated March 9, 2018 on social media. Friends and fellow citizens, please be informed that Mr Dharamlall’s allegations of non-disclosure of financial statements, soliciting funds on behalf of the PPP, and campaigns to discredit the PPP leadership are

false, frivolous, and malicious. Below is my response on each allegation:
1. In early 2017, the party sought to engage Mr Khushial …
To the best of my knowledge, such a meeting never occurred, nor was scheduled to occur.
2. Mr Khushial was not submitting financial statements …

All financial statements were timely submitted to the PPP leadership. First, I e-mailed the statements to Mr Clement Rohee on November 29th, 2016, the then general-secretary of the PPP. He acknowledged receipt of such documents. Again, the financial statements were updated in October 2017 and tendered at the same time to Mr Anil Nandlall in New York, head of the Mirror Board in Guyana. The financial statements were comprehensive, covering the fiscal period September 2016-October 2017. And at no point in time were any of the statements queried.

3. Mr Khushial was soliciting donations in New York …
No cash nor payments in kind was ever solicited on behalf of the party or for related activities. Mr Khushial and his fellow members are all about offering food and financial assistance to our poor farmers and sugar workers in Guyana. In fact, our members (of the Guyana Solidarity Movement-New York) recently distributed food hampers to over 300 poor sugar workers in Wales. The PPP leadership, upon learning about such activities, attempted to persuade us to divert our funds to the PPP. But, we refused to do so, because the funds were earmarked for specific GSM activities. In fact, the PPP’s General-Secretary, Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, in a meeting with at least a dozen of our members in August, 2017 in Queens, New York, discouraged us from providing financial assistance to the sugar workers.

4. Converted the activities of New York Mirror to a “one-man-affair” …
The activities were never about a “one-man-affair”. It is a fact that we printed and distributed the Mirror in New York free of charge. But, all decision-making about the printing and distribution of the Mirror was made by a duly elected Board of Directors in New York.

5. Mr. Khushial incorporated the overseas Mirror in his name …
The overseas paper was never incorporated in Mr Khushial’s name, other than a general partnership, for the purpose of printing and distribution of said paper; the party regularly e-mailed material for printing and distribution in New York.

6. To sow division and confusion …
This statement is false and a misrepresentation of the facts. How can an ordinary hard- working person like Mr. Khushial “sow” division and confusion among the PPP leadership, when Mr Khusial is not even an executive nor a member of the PPP leadership? Mr Khushial and his fellow members are life-long followers of Dr Jagan’s ideas, views and beliefs.
Given the above clarifications, we request that the PPP leadership “cease and desist” from these divisive allegations in relation to Mr Khushial and the honest and hard-working GSM members. Furthermore, we demand that they withdraw this press release and offer a public apology to Mr Khushial and Mr. Persaud.

Sincerely,
Rueben Kushial
Guyana Solidarity Movement – New York