The Alliance For Change (AFC) last evening said that contrary to a statement attributed to Minister of State Joseph Harmon in yesterday’s Guyana Chronicle, it was never consulted on the controversial appointment of Brian Tiwarie as a ministerial advisor.
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan also told Stabroek News that of the 34 government advisors appointed between last October and February this year, only four were appointed by the AFC and none had been provided with diplomatic passports
The AFC statement released yesterday points to ongoing fallout stemming from the exposing of Tiwarie’s appointment as advisor on business and its swift rescission by President David Granger.
“I recommended to Harmon four or five of the AFC members that could get the honorifics and so on and I was granted that but I didn’t know who and who was granted by him…That is what I know we appointed,” Ramjattan told Stabroek News yesterday.
When questioned if any of the appointees were granted diplomatic passports the AFC leader replied “Absolutely not. No. Nothing like that. It was just honorifics, certificates of appreciation, what we call honorifics for our diaspora chapters. I wanted to recognise them and that’s it.”
In the statement last evening, the AFC said, “The party was only aware of the appointments of the following persons as Diaspora Advisors: i. Dr. Rohan Somar ii. Ron Alert iii. Ewart Marshall iv. 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 of if this was done. The party reiterates that it was not consulted or informed of any advisor appointments other than those listed above.”
Harmon on Thursday had issued a statement saying that 34 persons were appointed honorary ministerial advisors, with Tiwarie being one of them.
Breaking his silence on the controversial appointment, which has attracted widespread criticism, Harmon, in a statement issued by the Ministry of the Presidency, said Tiwarie was issued with an instrument of appointment based on the recommendation of the General Secretary of APNU. Harmon is the General Secretary of APNU.
“I was subsequently advised by the President, who was not aware of all the appointees, that he was not in agreement with this one and that the appointment should be rescinded on March 24, 2016. I agreed with the decision of His Excellency and his rationale for rescinding the appointment,” the Harmon statement added.
Harmon’s statement did not include a rationale for the specific appointment of Tiwari, who has said he was appointed as a personal advisor on business to the minister and not to the government.
In defending the appointment, Harmon was previously reported as telling Kaieteur News, “we have issued several instruments like these to persons both from the APNU and the AFC side and you would notice that I have signed it for many persons who have helped us in the campaign and those who have the capacity to help us further.”
As a result, Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI) saw his statement as a confirmation that well-paying and prestigious jobs and other privileges were up for sale during the 2015 elections campaign in which the APNU+AFC coalition stood on an anti-corruption and transparency platform and that since the election the government has been using its position to employ and reward, out of state resources, its supporters and donors. This, according to TIGI, constituted corruption both on the part of Harmon and the government. Tiwarie’s instrument of appointment was dated January 19, 2016. However, there was no public announcement of his appointment until it was reported by the Kaieteur News last month.
Ramjattan yesterday distanced himself from the Tiwarie appointment, saying he didn’t know about it. “I don’t know nothing about BK or the APNU (nominees). I recommended only AFC people,” he stressed.
“Chronicle (The Guyana Chronicle newspaper) reported as if we were part of the decision making. We were not. That is what the Chronicle is saying,” he further explained.
The AFC later issued a statement denying the Guyana Chronicle report and listed its involvement in the process.
“In light of a misleading and erroneous front page headline in today’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle, the Alliance For Change wishes to clarify the following: … At no time was the party or any of its leaders aware of the appointment of Mr. Brian Tiwarie as Ministerial Advisor prior to the public revelation. Following the public revelation of same party Leader Khemraj Ramjattan raised the issue with His Excellency President David Granger and the party supports His Excellency’s decision to rescind the appointment,” the AFC statement asserted.
