U.S. group distances itself from Rickford Burke

The United States (US) group that visited Guyana this week has distanced itself from activist Rickford Burke and his organisation, the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID).

Former Chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who is part of the visiting mission, maintained that the visiting group comprises elected officials and activists who are not tied to Burke, a known critic of the government.

“We have no relationship with Rickford Burke, we are independent, we are unbiased and we are autonomous.”

“We want to be very clear that we have no relationship with Rickford Burke,” she said during a live broadcast before travelling to Guyana on Sunday.

However, Burke has noted that he and his organisation have ties to the group.

In a statement on October 7, Burke noted that he confirmed that the “high-level” delegation will be visiting Guyana to “investigate allegations of racial discrimination and extra-judicial killings” in Guyana.

But Dawkins-Haigler maintained that she never met Burke and does not even know the name of his organisation. And she noted that she was “disheartened” at concerns raised by President Dr. Irfaan Ali that the group is tied to Burke.

“These are individuals who are elected officials or activists in their own right and so for him to come out and say that we are somehow tied to a situation…I don’t even know the name of the group, that is false and it has no bearing,” she said.

She later added, “We are totally unbiased, we have no personal stake in this game, we just want to see the best for all Guyanese despite their ethnicity.”

On Saturday, the Government of Guyana decided to shun the visiting group because of concerns that they are tied to Burke.

In an invited comment, President Dr. Irfaan Ali told the News Room that his government stands, “as it always has, ready to participate in meaningful discussions with recognised State actors and unbiased participants” and he does not recognise the group coming.

“As President, I have led a government that follows successive PPP governments in which inclusion, development and inclusivity forms the core of our value system.

“One only needs to reflect on the composition of the executive, the judiciary, the legislature, the public service, the joint services, and all other State agencies or semi-autonomous agencies and that will speak for itself,” Dr Ali told the News Room.