I am very happy the National Assembly passed the motion which paved the way for the appointment of persons to sit on the Indigenous People Commission (IPC). Congratulations to all those people who were appointed and wish them successes in their constitutional mandate “to establish mechanisms to enhance the status of Indigenous peoples and to respond to their legitimate demands and needs”. Unfortunately and disappointingly the opposition in our National Assembly did not give their support to Mr. James Singh, the Commissioner of Forests. But the political opposition in our country is simply living up to oppose anything without providing strategies to move to Guyana forward.
The opposition to Mr. Singh’s appointment on the IPC showed clearly their intention to stagger the IPC from being fully constituted to empower Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples to advance their social and economic development. But the AFC does not care about the issues of Guyana’s Amerindians, since they failed miserably to have an Amerindian on their list of candidates from the last elections in the National Assembly to speak on the issue on Indigenous Peoples. It is therefore apparent that the only concern the AFC has for the Amerindians is to use them as mere digits in their voting machine at the upcoming 2011 General and Regional Elections. Further it is not known whether or not the AFC has a policy position on the Indigenous Peoples Development but will enter the elections race and presumptuously try to get the votes of Amerindians.
I know Mr. James Singh very well and I can attest to his commitment and determination to advance the Social and Economic Development of the Amerindian communities of Guyana. The selection and appointment of Mr. Singh to serve on the IPC was therefore an excellent and strategic one.