As government continues to seethe over the controversial $300 million US-funded democracy and governance project, foreign diplomats and analysts say the administration may have some grounds for its objection.
On November 26, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon announced that government had rejected the $300 million Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) project, which, among other goals, aims to boost citizens’ engagement with local parliamentarians and improve overall governance. He claimed that his government had no input. Luncheon said government had a problem with the programme as it was conceptualized, funding acquired and the contractor hired all by the US so it was really a fait accompli. He said that against this background any notion of consultation was really “just cosmetic.”
The ruling PPP expressed concern saying it believed the project was implemented in collusion with the opposition to hasten its exit from office. “There is deep suspicion in political circles that this particular project was conceived to bolster the political fortunes of the opposition political parties in Guyana. Small wonder why the political opposition and sections of the
