The Government of Guyana last night said that it will not engage with a `fact-finding’ mission from the United States comprising several state legislators, charging that it is biased towards the opposition and constitutes interference in domestic politics.
In a statement, the government said that it had noted from publications on social media that a delegation from the US intends to travel to Guyana on Mon-day, November 13, 2023 for a “fact-finding mission”. Stabroek News has reported on the impending visit.
A press release on October 26th stated that the team consists of US state legislators, civil rights activists, and entrepreneurs, and will be led by President & Founder of Organization World Leaders and former Chair, Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Dee Dawkins-Haigler; and former Chair of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, Rep. John King III (SC). They will endeavour to assess the validity of the allegations of racial discrimination and intimidation tactics and “shed light on the truth and pave way for a brighter, more inclusive future in Guyana.”
In its statement last night, the government said that the delegation and the intended visit appear to have resulted from a conference organised by Rickford Burke, a Guya-nese residing in Brooklyn, New York.
“During the month of September, 2023, Burke organised a so-called “Conference on Guyana” in Washington, DC, to which the Government of Guyana was not invited but which was attended by members of the Opposi-tion. This one-sided engagement presented the platform for Opposition Politicians to spew concocted and fabricated narratives about the Govern-ment of Guyana, including their usual diatribe about racial discrimination and extra judicial killings, without any fact-checking mechanism and without the Government being afforded a hearing or the facility of a response. It is obvious that these jaundiced, baseless and unfounded narratives of these Opposition Politicians, unsupported by any evidence whatsoever, have influenced this delegation”, the government said.
It charged that Burke is wanted by law enforcement agencies in Guyana for a number of criminal offences.
“This is nothing but a politically driven and orchestrated design by opponents of the Government which seems to have ensnared certain office holders within certain a few States’ Legislature in the US. As a result, the Government of Guyana will not be engaging this delegation acting in their private capacities as this is a clear interference in Guyana’s domestic politics with a bias towards the political Opposition in Guyana”, the government statement declared.
It said that any delegation interested in a “fact finding mission” of the problems that Guyana and Guyanese have faced historically and in the recent past must enquire into the following:
1. Fraudulent elections in 1968, 1973, 1980 and 1985;
2. The massive violations of human rights and freedoms of the people of Guyana during 28 years of dictatorial rule from 1968 to 1992;
3. The abuse, violence and killing of persons opposed to the Govern-ment, including, the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney, a world-renowned historian and a black political leader, and Father Bernard Darke, a Jesuit priest;
4. The total mismanagement of Guyana’s economy from 1968 to 1992, leaving Guyana as the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, second only to Haiti;
5. Widespread racial and ethnic discrimination between 1968 and 1992;
6. Rampant corruption, mismanagement and racial discrimination between 2015 to 2020;
7. 30,000 Guyanese losing jobs between 2015 to 2020; and
8. Flagrant, multiple attempts to fraudulently alter the results to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections in the presence of international observers and the diplomatic community.
“The above list is not by any means exhaustive, but those are a few broad areas upon which we can commission a fact-finding mission by anyone who is interested in Guyana and its people’s welfare”, the statement added.
According to the release from the US fact-finding mission, the decision to visit Guyana was prompted by presentations by Members of Parliament, Roysdale Forde, David Patterson, Dawn Hastings-Williams, and Catherine Hughes at the Washington Diaspora Conference, where accusations were outlined by the leadership of a large section of the Guyanese populace. This in addition to a public missive issued by Forde as Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, which was published in the Kaieteur News, as well as calls made by way of a formal request for a fact-finding mission to assess allegations of discrimination, marginalisation and displacement.
The release noted, “In a world where equality and justice are paramount, the delegation stands united in their commitment to uncovering the reality behind the allegations. Their mission is fueled by a deep-rooted belief in the fundamental rights and dignity of every individual, regardless of their race or background. With a keen determination to address these pressing issues head-on, the delegation will leave no stone unturned. They aim to gather comprehensive and reliable information, engaging with local communities, organizations, and government officials.”
Further, it informed that the mission aims to “thoroughly” assess the validity of the allegations, and to provide insight on whether Guyana’s PPP/C Government is in adherence to democratic norms and the rule of law.
“The allegations of racial discrimination and human rights violations have cast a dark shadow over the nation, threatening the very fabric of its society”, the release said.
It was recalled that in August of 2021, a delegation of US legislators, business owners, human rights activists and others had travelled to Guyana to attend the Socio-Economic Emancipation 2021. During this visit, the US delegation had the opportunity to meet with President Irfaan Ali and his executive cabinet. They also met with the opposition leaders and the former US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch. During this time in Guyana and based on the meetings with the President, it was the hope of the delegation that both parties would work for the good of Guyana, specifically related to the reference from the President’s “One Guyana” statements.
The release stressed that this is not an official visit on behalf of the US Government; instead, it is an “independent, unbiased fact-finding mission,” in which the findings will be compiled and presented to the Country of Guyana, the Biden Administration, the United States Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the US State Department. “It is our desire that the outcome of these findings will assist in the commitment to transparency and accountability to which free and democratic societies should function.”
Another release on November 10 from Dawkins-Haigler said it is important to note that all allegations from the opposition have been vehemently denied by President Irfaan Ali and the PPP government who have provided numerous reports, documents and articles to counter the claims. The President further purports that the allegations have no merit and are fueled with lies by disgruntled individuals who are trying to create chaos.
The release said that the delegation is intending to use the insights gained from these meetings to inform and guide discussions with relevant leaders in Congress and the White House upon their return to the United States.
“By sharing the experiences and concerns raised by Guyanese-American citizens, the delegation aims to advocate for positive change and promote inclusivity and equality at both national and international levels”, it said.
The members of the delegation are eagerly awaiting the responses from President Ali, Aubrey Norton – Leader of the Opposition Party, Sherod Duncan – General Secretary of the Alliance for Change, Khemraj Ramjattan – Leader of the Alliance for Change, and Dawn Hastings-Williams – General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform. Requests for courtesy meetings were sent on Wednesday November 8, 2023.
US legislators have shown an increasing interest in Guyana. A delegation from the New York State Legislature was recently in Guyana.
Both the government and opposition recently held separate meetings in Washington with the highest ranking democrat in the US House of Representatives, New York Congressman, Hakeem Jeffries.
