U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, Barbara Feinstein yesterday met with Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Aubrey Norton where a number of issues were discussed.
The meeting took place at Congress Place, Sophia. Norton was attended by PNCR Chairman Shurwayne Holder and General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond while Feinstein was accompanied by US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch and Desk Officer Kelly McGray.
During a brief telephone interview with Stabroek News, Norton said that the meeting was cordial, productive and fruitful. He said that a number of topics including the voters’ list, internal security concerns, the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy and persecution of civil society were discussed at the meeting.
“[In relation to Venezuela] they indicated that, to use a loose language, the intention is not to throw Guyana under the bus [and] that they would continue to support the ICJ [International Court of Justice] process and we welcome that,” Norton reported.
When asked about whether the current discussions between the US and Venezuela on the oil front came up during the meeting, Norton replied in the negative but reiterated that Feinstein reaffirmed their commitment to the ICJ process and that there has been no abandonment of any kind.
Feinstein arrived yesterday and will be in Guyana until tomorrow, According to the US Embassy here “Her visit underscores the continued importance the United States places on the U.S./Guyanese partnership.”
She met yesterday with Prime Minister Mark Phillips who is performing the functions of President and is also slated to meet with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, CARICOM, the private sector and civil society.
The PNCR has been advocating for a new voters’ list arguing that the existing one is bloated. The contention of a bloated list stemmed from the 2020 general elections which saw the APNU+AFC being ousted from the seat of power. The APNU+AFC had claimed without providing evidence that dead and migrated persons voted.
Norton related that the issue of the list was raised with Feinstein.
“I said that you cannot have democracy with a bloated list [because] it won’t be a reflection of the electorate and therefore there is a need for change. For you to be considered a democratic society, the list has to reflect the population so that the results will reflect the will of the population,” Norton said.
The PNCR also raised the issue of internal security and the malicious detention of persons. Norton told Stabroek News that his party has been arguing against the Police Force’s detention of persons for 72 hours without viable reasons.
The PNCR leader raised concerns about the government’s persecution of civil society groups. Since taking office, the government has been launching attacks on civil society groups that criticize its handling of various aspects of governance.
“In speaking to them we also established that there is a role for civil society and Jagdeo can’t be saying because civil society doesn’t go to the election they shouldn’t have a say. They [US] generally promote civil society and indicated that they are committed to strengthening civil society and working to build democracy in Guyana,” he said. Ambassador Lynch and Deputy Assistant Secretary Feinstein also met with members of the HIAS team which is working with Venezuelan refugees. HIAS provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees around the world. The US has provided Guyana with over US$3.7 million in 2021 alone for this work.
Feinstein most recently served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Caribbean Affairs, Haiti, Cuba, Mexico, and Central America with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She has held various leadership positions with USAID, including as Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs; Deputy Chief of Staff to Administrator Rajiv Shah, Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham; and Special Assistant to Administrator Henrietta Fore. Other assignments include service with the U.S. Departments of State and Defense.
