PPP/C Paying US Lobbyist To Make Statements on Guyana’s Electoral System … This Is How They Did It …

A lobbyist is an advocate for a particular side of an issue; someone who articulates and communicates the views of a company or organization to outside stakeholders, such as government agencies, trade associations, and legislative bodies. The lobbyist’s primary responsibility is to understand the policy initiatives of regional, federal, and international governing agencies in order to come up with strategies that display the interests of the organization they represent. Lobbyists must also convince legislators to vote on public policy in favour of their clients’ interests.

Former President and Chairman of the opposition party Bharrat Jagdeo is allegedly using the connections he made while in government to start a lobbying campaign against the APNU/AFC and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Lobbying describes the effort of lobbyists to influence decisions made by government officials such as members of the Guyana’s electoral system. Although it may seem that the world is watching and cares about the Guyanese elections, the PPP/C is invoking a highly effective scare tactic to force the hand of the Guyanese people. The term came from the fact that ‘influence peddlers’ would appear in the lobby of legislative buildings to buttonhole legislators and influence their voting on behalf of the legislators’ clients. Most of the lobbyists are lawyers and many are ex-Congresspersons.

Many US senate members made pronouncements on the current situation in Guyana but the fact of the matter is most of these individuals doesn’t even know where Guyana is located. Lobbying takes place at every level of government, including federal, state, county, municipal, and even local governments. In Washington, DC alone, over 12,000 lobbyists are busy targeting legislators and regulators.