The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) has responded to the Government of Guyana’s statement it will not meet with the United States (U.S) Fact-Finding Mission, which will be in Guyana between November 13 to November 19, due an alleged influence by the organisation and its president, Rickford Burke.
The Fact Finding Mission which is led by Dee Dawkins-Haigler, President President/CEO, Organisation of World Leaders, and Rep John King (South Carolina) said CGID is not part of the delegation nor does any member of the delegation know the organisation and Burke. Dawkins-Haigler in an interview with Mark Benschop Saturday said she is “disheartened” at the Government’s statement and refusal to meet the team, given President Ali was kept abreast with the team’s intent, received an invitation to meet, and did say he was looking forward to meet the team.
CGID’s statement follows:-
CGID BLASTS GUYANA’S PPP GOVERNMENT’S STATEMENT ON US FACT FINDING MISSION AS BASELESS & MENDACIOUS, ACCUSE THE GOVERNMENT OF HAVING SOMETHING TO HIDE
- The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) unequivocally rejects the false statement by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and his Government, which ridiculously claimed that the US legislators embarking on a fact finding mission to Guyana is affiliated with and influenced by CGID President Mr. Rickford Burke. The government said it will not engage the legislators.
- Without any evidence, basis or fact, the Government recklessly claimed that Mr. Burke wrote the mission’s terms of reference and has pre-written a report. Neither Mr. Burke nor anyone else from CGID knows or has ever met these legislators. Only a hopelessly deceitful, reckless and paranoid government can demonstrate such audacious mendacity.
- The government claims that it learnt of the mission from social media is a blatant lie. The team indicated in a statement and a television interview that they wrote to President Ali about this mission and he has been corresponding with them. How dishonest can this government be? The government’s impetuous, temper tantrum is a desperate attempt to deter the delegation from pursuing its mission to examine allegations of racial discrimination by the government, which is easily verifiable. Hence the distractions and smokescreens.
- The government’s claim that Mr. Burke is wanted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is ludicrous. Mr. Burke lives in New York and has not traveled to Guyana in over 25 years. The government has a history of using the GPF to try to silence critics as well as Mr. Burke. The regime also filed a complaint against Mr. Burke with the US Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, which rejected their complaint as frivolous and meritless, and an attack on Mr. Burke’s free speech rights.
- The government’s claim that the fact finding mission was influenced by the opposition and the Washington Conference on Guyana – the same conference they claimed was a failure, and at which the opposition peddled “lies.” If lies were peddled at the so-called “failed” conference, then the government should welcome the opportunity to provide the US delegation with their version of the facts to dispel the so-called opposing “lies.”
- The government claims that the fact finding mission is an interference into Guyana’s domestic affairs. The government should have known this when it invited dozens of Members of the US Congress, Trump Administration officials and other Western leaders to pronounce on behalf of the PPP in Guyana’s internal affairs during the elections impasse in 2020. Why is the government afraid of the exact same level of international scrutiny now? What do they have to hide, perhaps their racism?
