PLAN TO COAX GUYANA INTO IMPLEMENTING GOVERNANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000667

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/CAR
WHA/OAS
S/CRS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM GY
SUBJECT: PLAN TO COAX GUYANA INTO IMPLEMENTING GOVERNANCE

REFORMS

REF: A. GEORGETOWN 595

B. GEORGETOWN 499

Classified By: Ambassador Roland W. Bullen
For Reason 1.4 (d)


1. (U) This is an action request for WHA -- see para 6.


2. (C) Ambassador met July 6 with mission chiefs from UK,
Canada, European Community (EC),UNDP, IDB, and World Bank to
discuss a strategy for approaching President Jagdeo with a
coordinated message on elections. The group proposes that
U.S., UK, Canada and EC (ABCE Group) meet with Jagdeo
Thursday July 13 to deliver a joint demarche and leave behind
an aide memoire (see draft para 8). The objective is to urge
him to publicly commit now to implement governance reforms
within a specific timeframe after elections.


3. (C) The ABCE Group will use the meeting to remind Jagdeo
of their consistent support for the election process.
Second, they will urge him to exercise leadership in
implementing overdue reforms to pull Guyana out of its
political morasse. Third, they will highlight the "carrots"
on offer and the implications of inaction.


4. (C) The incentives to encourage implementation include
building these reform commitments into IDB country indicators
-- benchmarks that would allow disbursement of debt relief
and other upcoming programs. These same benchmarks could
also be incorporated into the Millennium Challenge Account
Threshold program and the EC's governance funding. However,
the ABCE Group will make clear that by not acting: 1) Jagdeo
risks jeopardizing assistance to Guyana; 2) These incentives
would become conditions; and 3) The international community
would make a public statement explaining its position.


5. (C) This plan calls for a united front by all
international stakeholders, including CARICOM, OAS, and the
Commonwealth Secretariat (ComSec). In addition, the ABCE
Group is urging the OAS and ComSec long-term election
observers now on the ground to issue statements about GECOM's
ability to deliver free and fair elections.


6. (U) Post requests WHA concurrence with this course of
action and the aide memoire by Wednesday July 12.


7. (C) COMMENT: Post stongly believes that privately urging
Jagdeo to make this public commitment to reform is the right
tactic. As it currently stands, the political will to follow
through on badly needed reform is lacking. Obtaining this
commitment now, before elections, increases the probability
of its success. The ABCE Group will seek similar commitments
from other political parties. Guyana will not get itself on
the right path to development until these reforms are
implemented. Post is confident that there is full consensus
among all international stakeholders on this plan --
bilaterals, IFIs, and multilaterals. As Ambassador recently
wrote to A/S Shannon (ref A): "We all agree that meaningful
political change in Guyana will only come about through
coordinated, concerted international pressure . . . If we
fail to press home this issue now, our successors will be
back in the same place in five years when the next election
is due." END COMMENT.


8. (SBU) Following is the draft aide memoire, as sent to
London and Ottawa by British and Canadian High Commissioners.

BEGIN TEXT:

Aide memoire on implementing already agreed reforms to ensure
democratic and accountable governance.

The elections in Guyana are expected to happen soon. We have
been supporting GECOM and we will continue to do so as it
prepares to deliver free and fair elections to the people of
Guyana. We have as you know been making public statements in
support of the electoral preparations on the basis of the
views from the international experts and observers.

You have stated to a number of us that you intend to
implement a reform agenda if you are re-elected. Building on
already agreed reforms and more recent discussions, we
understand the reform programme to include:
a) firmly establishing Parliament as the primary forum for

political debate and for rendering accounts to Guyanese
citizens;
b) implementing much needed and long overdue constitutional
and electoral reforms;
c) reforming the security sector and the judiciary so that
the rule of law prevails.

We believe that it would be opportune for you to commit
publicly, before the elections, to this agenda. This
commitment would be strengthened by detailing a timetable for
the early implementation of the reforms, to present to the
new Parliament within three months of its formation. We will
be urging all political parties contesting the election to
make a similar commitment.

This would allow us to move forward in support of Guyana's
development, either bilaterally or as members of
international financial institutions, and further support the
implementation of these reforms.

END TEXT.

BULLEN