House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement of his meeting with the Members of Parliament from the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC). The MPs met Jeffries and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on September 28 at Capitol Hill, Washington D.C, United States of America.
Jeffries’ full statement, which was issued last evening, follows:
Last week, I hosted a meeting with Aubrey Norton, M.P. the Opposition Leader and members of the parliamentary opposition of the [Cooperative] Republic of Guyana
Several leading congressional Democrats with expertise in foreign affairs, finance, security and other critical issues to the Western Hemisphere and the Caribbean-American community in Brooklyn and across the United States joined us for this important and timely discussion.
In the meeting, we discussed a vision for a Guyanese economy and a society that is inclusive, developed and equitable for everyone, including the Afro-Guyanese community. The members of the opposition underscored the importance of lifting people out of poverty by ensuring economic growth, promoting infrastructure development and strengthening democratic institutions. The opposition leader also expressed concern with racial inequalities that he felt needed to be addressed and the importance of equal protection under the law for all Guyanese.
We will continue to engage with our Guyanese counterparts and other regional neighbors and encourage the government and the opposition to work together to ensure that all Guyanese citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit from the growth underway in the South American nation.
In a release by the APNU+AFC, September 30, the parliamentary coalition was it was a “highly successful meeting.” The Guyana delegation which was led by Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton and Chairman of the Alliance for Change Catherine Hughes, included Members of Parliament (MPs) Roysdale Forde S.C, Amanza Walton-Desir, Dawn Hastings-Williams, Deonarine “Ricky” Ramsaroop, Sherod Duncan and Ganesh Mahipaul. David Patterson, MP was unable to attend the September 28th meeting as he was prevented from leaving the country, which the Opposition was a “a vindictive and illegal act carried out by the PPP government.”
Ramsaroop has since shared the Opposition’s gratitude for the meeting on the Democratic House Leader’s Facebook. The Member of Parliament wrote:
“Thank you, Congressman Hakeem for putting out this summary of a very important meeting in the history of our country. A time when the guardrails of democracy are broken and the gateway of corruption is open to a few friends and family. Thank you for hosting us, so that we can let the voices of the poor and unfortunate be heard.”
However, the Government and allies have been spreading rumours no such meeting happened due to the absence of a statement or official photographs from Jeffries’ office.
Three days after the Government’s team, headed by President Irfaan Ali met with Jeffries and members of the CBC, Jeffries’ office issued a statement. But Jeffries’ statement contradicted reports by the PPP-lead delegation. One area that stood out is that whilst Jeffries’ statement said the two sides spoke to issues of race relations and inclusivity, members of the PPP’s delegation in statement’s prior to Jeffries’ said there was no such conversation. Jeffries met Ali September 14.
Robert Persaud, Foreign Secretary, is quoted in Demerara Waves news, saying Jeffries never discussed inclusionary governance and participation in the nation’s economy. He wasn’t telling the truth.
Congressman Jeffries, given his high office in the U.S legislature, is playing a critical role to avert a threatened government shut-down if Congress fails to pass legislation to ensure continuity of government spending. As Democratic Leader he also plays a critical role between the White House and Congress in negotiating a deal.
