Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon said the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government is paying keen attention to Mercury Public Affairs – the American firmed hired by the Opposition – People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to help run its elections campaign.

Fielding questions from reporters during post-cabinet media briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency on Thursday, Harmon said the Government has taken note of the move by PPP/C. “When the purported activities of the company is going to address matters internal to Guyana, that is likely to affect the stability of this country, that is likely to affect the way in which people are dealt with on a daily basis then certainly it is something that we pay very keen interest in,” the Director General said.

The firm is currently embroiled in the probe into alleged Russian interference in U.S. elections. Jagdeo has described the move to hire Mercury Public Affairs as “proactive.”
“We have heard about companies like this and the impact which they have had in the United States, in Trinidad and Tobago, in the United Kingdom, in BREXIT an all of these places, so it is not something that we take very lightly,” Harmon explained.

According to him, it is amazing that the PPP/C can “actually fork out $34M just like that.”
He said that the people of Guyana are also paying attention. “I think that the Guyanese people would be looking very carefully at what this company is doing in so far as heavy influence,” Harmon said.

The contract was signed on March 5, 2019 by PPP Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha. According to the contract, the firm will provide strategic consulting and management services specific to issues facing the party in areas of government relations and issues management.

The services according to contract shall include but not limited to representing the party before and arranging meetings with the Executive Branch and the Congress of the United States, the Organisation of American States and think-tanks in connection with issues relating to the anticipated general and regional elections. Additionally, according to the contract the PPP agreed to pay the firm US$ 150,000, US$100,000 of which had to be paid at the time of the signing of the contract and the remainder on May 1, 2019. The PPP also agreed to pay and reimburse the firm for all business expenses in providing the services for it. The party also has to pay the lobby firm for all filing fees, costs and expenses paid or incurred related to compliance requirements in any jurisdictions.