IT IS both hilarious and sad to note the antics of the Alliance for Change (AFC) party in seeking to exploit sections of the media to foment disaffection within our Amerindian community. For a party wracked by internal dissent over who should be its next leader and Presidential candidate, the AFC appears to be grasping at political straws to help ease its own frustration ahead of the next general election.
Take, for example, the most recent humourous manifestation that surfaced at the AFC’s recent ‘national conference’ as appeared in another newspaper.
As written by a non-Amerindian political activist, well known for his anti-government vituperations, the report said that a resolution was passed at the AFC conference condemning, in “the angriest voice,” a resolution approved at the recent conference of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) endorsing the Guyana Government’s REDD+ project.
Whatever the AFC is hoping to achieve by this kind of political mischief, its cohorts/propagandists should at least show some respect for the representatives of the national community of Amerindians who participated in the recent NTC meeting, and endorsed the government’s internationally-lauded Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) initiative in a major battle against climate change.
For starters, the NTC, elected by genuine representatives of the Amerindian people, stands as the sole democratic authority of that significant segment of Guyana’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural population.
Why, therefore, should opportunism of the AFC be allowed to descend to such a low level to question the legitimacy and integrity of the Toshaos whose signatures were placed on the approved resolution document that endorsed REDD for presentation to President Bharrat Jagdeo?   
Is there no limit to cheap politicking by a party which, like another, is currently having so much internal problems in preparation for the coming presidential and parliamentary elections?
From the first tranche of funds made available to the government under the REDD+ project, the sum ofUS$8million has already been identified for expenditures in the various Amerindian communities.
Firm assurances were recently given by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that monies approved will be expeditiously disbursed.
For its part, the Guyana Government is anxious to get ahead with the overall objectives of REDD in its commitment to combat the dangers of climate change.
Let those with their visceral dislike of the Guyana Government stop misrepresenting and insulting the leaders of the Amerindian communities, and specifically the National Council of Toshaos.