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1. Laura George is an Amerindian People’s Association (APA) activist and is employed by that organization, which is known for its anti-government agenda under the pretext of indigenous people’s issues. Her letter is therefore political and misleading.
2. Laura George in her letter said that indigenous peoples at the November, 2011 elections “were the recipients of gifts, yes many gifts but in the gift sets were also misinformation, slander and scare tactics”. The problem with Ms. George is that she is politically ignorant and is in sympathy with the retarded, parliamentary opposition parties who lost the elections.
3. The fact of the matter is that election campaigning in Guyana and other countries both in the developed and lesser developed world is characterised by the offering of gifts and messages by political parties contesting elections to electorates so as to persuade them to vote for their respective parties. If Ms. George is not aware of gift offering and political messages at elections time then she should ask her parents or grandparents and stop exposing her ignorance and cease being petty.
4. Ms. George claims that the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (government) is interfering with some village council elections by “reopening nominations in some communities that have their current Toshao as the lone nominee”. Let me congratulate the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for this timely observation since something may have gone wrong where the current Toshao was the lone nominee which was not consistent with the relevant provisions of the Amerindian Act 2006 or where the ‘lone Toshao’ may have used ‘scare tactics’ to secure his only nomination. But it must be noted that corrupt practices take place at the village council elections in some communities by Toshaos.
5. The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs being an observer at Village Council Elections (section 65 (4) of the Amerindian Act 2006) can make recommendations to the returning officer who shall cooperate with any elections observers (sec 66 (2) (b) of the Amerindian Act 006). The reopening of nominations for Toshaos is permissible since nominations can be submitted to a returning officer not later than 30 minutes before voting is scheduled to begin (section 70 (2) of Amerindian Act 2006). It must be noted also that the returning officer has overall responsibility for ensuring the proper conduct of the elections for Toshaos and councillors (Section 66 (2) of the Amerindian Act 2006), and in this regard has to cooperate with the Elections Observers among other things.
6. The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs was therefore acting within the law to recommend the reopening of nominations for Toshaos in the communities where Laura George claimed this happened.
