With the We Invest in Nationhood party set to make its entry into the National Assembly following Monday’s elections and its Leader remaining sanctioned by the US Government, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, today said the US Government would find ways to work around sanctioned elected officials, although it would not engage with an OFAC sanctioned official on financial or transactional matters.

“We’ve had OFAC sanctioned individuals in governments in other places of the world, several in fact, and we find ways to work around that…we have been able to achieve our objectives and the objectives of that country without any barrier. You just have to be creative in ways to work around it. We wouldn’t be able to work directly with Mr. Mohamed in any sort of transaction or financial situation, but we will be able to work with other parliamentarians and other people on the particular Committee that we are dealing with. There are ways to work around it and we will just work with the US law as it prescribes working with OFAC sanctioned individuals”, she said.

The We Invest in Nationhood party is headed by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who was sanctioned last year by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control along with his father, their businesses and Government Permanent Secretary, Mae Thomas.

Mohamed was the Presidential Candidate for his party, which appears set to head into the National Assembly as the largest Opposition party. Mohamed could possibly be chosen by his party to serve as the Opposition Leader.

She reminded that the OFAC sanctions are only financial and therefore there would not be an issue with Mohamed having to be engaged on other issues related to various committees of the National Assembly that he might serve on and that may need to work along with the US.

She repeatedly told reporters that there are ways to work around the issue of a sanctioned official.

Prior to the elections, the US Ambassador had expressed her concern over Mohamed’s run for elected office. At the time, she said his election to Government or the National Assembly could effectively cause the United States Government to change the way it conducts business with Guyana.

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