Latest update May 8th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 03, 2014 News
Two days after the Government of Guyana announced that it revoked the work permit of the Head of the controversial Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project, Glenn Bradbury, the United States has made it clear that the decision is contrary to the commitment given by this country.
“The decision to revoke Mr. Bradbury’s permit is contrary to our understanding of the Government of Guyana’s commitment to review together the LEAD programme and to the spirit of the discussions proposed by the Government of Guyana itself”, the US Embassy said yesterday in its first statement on the issue.
The Embassy also said it “regrets” the decision to revoke the work permit which was issued to Bradbury on September 25th, last year.
The revocation also sparked worry from Opposition Leader, David Granger, who believed that there is likelihood of retaliation.
According to the official, his faction, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), “regrets the action of Government with feelings that the program was working in the benefit of young people because it started to provide information particularly on the local government elections.”
“We felt that the limited engagements we had were beneficial as well. I understand that the US Embassy and (President Donald) Ramotar were engaged in talks, but I did not get the impression that the talks had broken down and that such an action was necessary.”
Granger believes that Government “will have to pay a price for that action. In this diplomacy it is going to be a juk for juk situation.”
The US Embassy in its statement yesterday said it welcomes the willingness of the Government of Guyana to re-engage in discussions on democracy and governance, and specifically in relation to the USAID LEAD project.
LEAD, the Embassy explained, is designed to benefit the Government and people of Guyana through the promotion of understanding and consensus-building within the National Assembly; greater citizen engagement with Parliament; civic education on local government and greater civic engagement among women and youth.
“The LEAD project implements the objectives described in the USAID Assistance Agreement for Governing Justly and democratically, reached between the United States government and the Government of Guyana in 2009.”
On Wednesday, chief spokesperson of the Government and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said that Government revoked the work permit and extension of stay of the Head of the United States of America’s democratization project, Glenn Bradbury.
The revocation would be significant as it is not often that Guyana would take such actions against the US.
Bradbury is the Principal Official of the International Republican Institute which is contracted by USAID to implement the Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project.
While not indicating whether this is an act by Government to stall the execution of the LEAD Project, Dr. Luncheon said the revocation of Bradbury, a Canadian citizen’s, permit, was based on the conclusion that Guyana’s immigration laws were “offended”.
In early January, Dr. Luncheon said the decision by the US Government to proceed with a project that the Guyana Government has already rejected is disrespectful.
He said that the four components of the project were analyzed by Cabinet and one contained major activities that captured a relationship between USAID and individual political parties in Guyana.
Guyana does not have a public policy by government for the support for political parties, he added.
The LEAD project seeks to enhance the technical capacity and functionality of the legislature through the regular use of consultative practices and mechanisms for legislative drafting, analysis, review, and passage.
The programme is expected to further reinforce democratic governance in Guyana by broadening political participation through more representative and competitive multi-party engagements.
This programme will include a particular focus on women and youth.
It was only last week that US Ambassador, D. Brent Hardt met with President Donald Ramotar and senior Government Officials, including Luncheon on the issue. That engagement allowed the reiteration of Cabinet’s position on the matter.
The spokesman said that Government is prepared to re-engage but it will not do so while activities under the project are being implemented.
The LEAD project was launched last year July.
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