Georgetown : Government has given approval for the implementation of two components of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Project.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon said the US $1.5M project, which for a short while was being implemented without support from Cabinet, was halted in May to facilitate discussions between the Government and US officials aimed at arriving at mutually accepted guidelines and components for its implementation.
Components given the go-ahead by Cabinet thus far are one relating to the strengthening of the National Assembly and the other which deals with civic education and support for local government elections, Dr. Luncheon said.
He said that Cabinet approved the designs and activities of the two components of the proposed projects, the tools and governance mechanism associated with the implementation of the two components and agreed to the implementation of the two components.
He said that the US authorities were officially notified on June 18 of Cabinet’s decision.
The engagement between the Government of Guyana and the US authorities on other components of the project continues, Dr. Luncheon said. Other areas, identified by the US, but have not been brought into the ambit of mutually agreed designs for the project include activities to support and strengthen women and youth participation in national activities and support for political parties.
Government was not consulted in the drafting and design of the project which was being implemented despite its objections.
Following several calls to have the project halted, pending Cabinet approval; it was not until May 8 that Dr. Luncheon together with the US Ambassador Brent Hardt at the Office of the President, announced the temporary suspension of the project, to allow for re-engagement between Government and US on its implementation.
