U.S Govt. engaged in “good diplomacy” not interference in Guyana -US Ambassador

Appearing on the 94.1 Jumpstart Show this morning, the Ambassador said she sees America's interest in the Guyana elections as "good diplomacy" and not interference.

U.S Govt. engaged in “good diplomacy” not interference in Guyana   -US Ambassador

American Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch has shot down allegations that the United States Government has been interfering in Guyana’s electoral process.

Appearing on the 94.1 Jumpstart Show this morning, the Ambassador said she sees America’s interest in the Guyana elections as “good diplomacy” and not interference.

“I call it good diplomacy…All these statements that the US government is making in 2020 are nearly identical to the ones made in 2015 and the difference being that there was a different party in power and a different party in opposition. So the statements that we are making today, they very much mirror those in 2015. So if its interference today, it is interference in 2015”, Ambassador Lynch said.

In a recent interview, high-ranking US Congressman Hackeem Jeffries expressed some worry about the many statements and threats of sanctions that were issued by US Government officials over the ongoing Guyana Elections. He described the US involvement as interference.

Since the elections, the US State Department through the Secretary of State and one of his Assistant Secretaries has issued several statements via tweets about the elections in Guyana. The embassy in Guyana has also made other statements.

Ambassador Lynch said it appears as though the US is in pretty good company when it comes to issuing statements on the elections and the political situation in Guyana since many other countries have done the same.

“All of the statements that we have made here in Georgetown, that the State Department has made with Asst. Secretary Kozak and Secretary Pompeo and the National Security Council, they are also very similar to statements that have been made by those international observer groups that were here for the elections and that includes, CARICOM, The Commonwealth, The OAS and the EU, in addition, there have been a number of other countries besides the ABC EU that have made similar statements and that includes France, Norway, India and so everybody is calling for these elections to be free, fair and credible”, the Ambassador said.

Questioned about whether she believes lobbying by US lobbying firms may have influenced the flurry of statements from the US Government, the Ambassador said lobbying appears to be “a new business” and it is true that there are lobbyists in Washington that have been advocating for the interests of “whoever hired them”.

US Senators who recently wrote to the President of Guyana on Vote Recount

The People’s Progressive Party back in 2019 announced its multi-million dollar hiring of a US lobbying firm in Washington. Based on public documents released by that lobbying firm, it has been in regular contact with the offices of many of the US Government officials who have been issuing statements on the elections in Guyana.

Just recently, the governing APNU+AFC coalition hired a lobbying firm of its own in an effort to counteract some of the work done by the firm hired by the PPP.

The Ambassador would not say whether she has been lobbied by any of the firms but said she has been in contact with various groups and political personalities in Guyana from all sides.

She said the US Government does not have a preference for any particular party to win the elections, but it is concerned about ensuring democracy and democratic principles are observed.

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