No negotiations Says Dr. Roger Luncheon

GEORGETOWN,Guyana, Jan. 9, CMC – Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon has indicated that Government will not be negotiating the controversial governance project proposed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID),under duress with US officials.

Addressing the issue during his weekly post- Cabinet briefing on Wednesday, Luncheon  said “We ain’t negotiating under duress. We are not discussing a project and its implementation whilst it’s being implemented.”

The Cabinet Secretary stated that government’s disagreement of the project which it has opposed after consideration remains unchanged, said, “It doesn’t enjoy the support, it doesn’t find favour with the Government of Guyana”.

It was disclosed that government is in the process of crafting a response to an official note which was dispatched to the US State Department via Ambassador Dr Brent Hardt and responded to, earlier this week.

Government had written to the Ambassador seeking clarification following reports that aspects of the rejected USAID Leadership and Democracy Project were still being implemented, despite the administration’s objection to its design.