President preparing declarations for Integrity Commission; PPPC’s Edghill calls for public disclosure

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 May 2019, 21:36 by Writer

President David Granger Wednesday morning said he has started the process to ensure that all of his documents are submitted to the Integrity Commission even as he assured that the Guyana government takes seriously the role of that Commission.

“I am in touch with the Integrity Commission. I have written to them. I have not submitted all of my declarations… They [the documents] are taking some time, but I am in touch with them and the Commission has heard from me. I’ve had some challenges over that period of time, but I’m actually working on it and the Commission is aware of my interest in ensuring that they are submitted as quickly as possible,” the President said in response to questions posed by the media at the conclusion of the accreditation ceremony for the new Filipino Ambassador to Guyana.

The Head of State said too that it is Cabinet’s policy for all Ministers of the Government to comply with the requests of the Integrity Commission.

“As far as the Cabinet is concerned the general opinion or general rule is that we should all comply. So, it’s just a matter of time. Some of the details I think, may have taken some Members time, but I cannot say if all of them are compliant… but that is the policy of the Cabinet, that every Minister should comply,” he stated.

Meanwhile, in expressing shock at the President’s failure to file his declaration with the Integrity Commission, opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) parliamentarian Juan Edghill called on the Guyanese leader to make public his assets and liabilities.

“Is President Granger aware that every gift that he receives, valued more than US$50, needs to be declared?  Is he in possession of an itemized list of all gifts that he has received since assuming office as Head of State?

“Maybe, a goodwill gesture to win the trust and regain the confidence of all Guyanese is for President Granger to not only file with the Integrity Commission, but to also make his declarations public,” Edghill said in a letter to the media.

Edghill described the President’s failure so far to file as a broken promise. “This is the height of hypocrisy and it is the clearest manifestation of duplicity. It is a betrayal of the promised transparency and accountability and it is yet the clearest revelation of how hollow and insincere he and his Administration have been, as it relates to keeping their word,” Edghill stated.

Edghill said the President should have since June 2015 filed his declaration to the Integrity Commission explaining the source of the resources for his house at Pearl, East Bank Demerara. “We are now, in 2019 and he is still not compliant,” the opposition politician said.