Dear Editor,
I wish to refer to a letter under the caption ‘The LDCS website is not complying with the process document for communications about LCDS’ by Janette Bulkan, in your issue of August 7.
Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) continues to be subjected to unfair and misleading comments by persons at present not living in Guyana. Instead of being on the ground to witness the massive outpouring of support for the LCDS, they prefer to write misleading letters to the press and elsewhere from their homes in countries in the developed world. Ms Bulkan stated that she was not in a position to submit suggestions for the improvement of the LCDS because, “The LCDS has completely failed to indicate in what format suggestions might be made.” This is a lame and unacceptable excuse. If Ms Bulkan was serious about contributing to the improvement of the LCDS, she would have contacted the Office of Climate Change simply by the telephone, e-mail or fax, in the same way she makes contact with the media houses in Guyana. But Ms Bulkan does not appear to be interested in the improvement of the LCDS. Nothing in this life is perfect, but with heart and soul harmoniously working together we can all strive for perfection. Ms Bulkan went on to say that “the OCC should be operating in a much more transparent manner and supplying much more information.” This misrepresentation was nailed by the World Bank Country Representative for Guyana, Mr Giorgio Valentini, who said that “the process is very well managed, well designed, very open and transparent.”
What more does Ms Bulkan want to hear? But like the ostrich which buries its head in the sand, Ms Bulkan will not face up to the truth.
In relation to the technical aspects of the LCDS, I am satisfied that the Office of Climate Change (OCC) has the technical capacity and expertise to deal with such matters. In the 5th and 6th paragraphs of the letter, Ms Bulkan stated that Guyana’s LCDS is not recognized in international UNFCCC negotiations as well as the international institute for sustainable development leading up to the Copenhagen meeting in December 2009. [Ed note: Ms Bulkan did not say this; she referred to the fact that the President’s draft LCDS “does not figure in ‘The Little REDD Book,” which was the reason for “the lack of attention to the LCDS numbers in the international UNFCC negotiations.”] This again is misleading. The LCDS was the focus at lots of international meetings where it was given due consideration and it will again be presented at the Copenhagen meeting in December. Ms Bulkan seems thirsty for accurate information and it boggles the mind why she is not collaborating with the OCC and the GFC for such information about the LCDS and the REDD preparations before she writes her letters for public consumption.
Finally, Ms Bulkan states, “I would also be grateful if the OCC would ensure that all the questions raised and reported at the multi-stakeholder consultations and the succeeding ‘awareness sessions’ are fully answered. Too many of the questions are not being answered by the President’s teams.” This is not true and Ms Bulkan is again being misleading. I attended all the consultations in the regions in my capacity as a member of the Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG) and member of the multi-stakeholder steering committee of the LCDS and I can attest to the fact that all of the questions, concerns, suggestions and recommendations raised were adequately answered and responded to in very simple language by the consultation team Ms Bulkan did not attend these consultations because she is not living in Guyana so her information here is definitely not credible. Further at the National Toshaos Council Meeting held at the International Convention Centre, President Jagdeo spent an entire day with the Toshaos explaining to them in very simple language what the LCDS is all about. Questions and concerns were raised and they were adequately answered and responded to by the President. At the meeting a wide cross-section of Guyanese society was invited, including a World Bank visiting team, foreign diplomats and members of the multi-stakeholder steering committee. What was pleasing to hear was that the Toshaos generally gave their support to the LCDS as they articulated their respective positions before the President.
Yours faithfully,
Peter Persaud
