MEMBER of Parliament of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Anil Nandlall is seeking to have the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into land issues dismantled through a motion to be tabled in the National Assembly today.

Ahead of today’s sitting of the National Assembly, Nandlall wrote the Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland signaling his intention to seek leave for the suspension of the Standing Orders for the purpose of discussing the motion, which he considers to be a matter of urgent public importance.

The CoI was established on March 11, 2017 by President David Granger to examine all issues and uncertainties surrounding the claims of Amerindian land titling, the individual, joint or communal ownership of lands acquired by freed Africans and on any matters relating to land titling in Guyana. The seven-member Commission, led by Reverend George Chuck-A-Sang, is mandated to submit its final report, findings and recommendation to the President on or before November 1, 2017.

However, in his ‘whereas clauses’, Nandlall argued that the Commission “was established without any ‘Free Prior and Informed Consent’ consultations with the National Toshaos Council – the sole and legitimate representative body of the Amerindian peoples and communities, and, the recognised non-governmental organisations representing Amerindians in Guyana.”

In a bid to prove his case, the PPP Parliamentarian pointed out that the National Toshaos Council and its supporting organisations have all condemned the establishment of the CoI as a mechanism to guide the process of addressing the land issues as it relates to the Amerindian People of Guyana.

It is Nandlall’s belief that the Amerindian Act of 2006 provides a unique, comprehensive and robust legal framework that addresses Amerindian land rights and Amerindian communal land titling “forever and absolute” with “Free Prior and Informed Consent” of the Amerindian communities, in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana, statutes and international law.

“While the President is free to establish Commissions of inquiry to enquire into any matter of public concern, including issues touching and concerning the ownership of lands acquired by free African slaves and all matters in connection therewith, there is no historical, scientific, theoretical, legal or practical basis to comingle these issues with Amerindian’s entitlement to traditional lands in Guyana,” he stated.

According to him, the Commission is not only in violation of Guyana’s pre-independent commitment, but conflicts with the country’s international obligations under the Low Carbon Development Strategy.

“The Commission has the potential of further polarising our people along ethnic lines and constitutes an expression of gross disrespect to the Amerindian people of Guyana and indeed, Amerindian peoples everywhere,” Nandlall argued.

His motion is intended to revoke the establishment of the CoI and allow for additional consultations with all of the relevant stakeholders.

The motion is gaining the attention of the National Assembly at a time when the National Toshaos Council has been publically objecting to the CoI. Through the eyes of the Council, the move by the Government to establish the CoI is a “blatant attempt” in trying to “dispossess” the Indigenous peoples of their lands.

The Toshaos Council strongly believes that two separate entities should be established to deal with the issues currently placed under a blanket. But President Granger is maintaining that the National Toshaos Council was informed of the Commission long before it was set up.

“The proposal to announce a body was announced by me at the National Toshaos Council, I think in August last year”, he had told reporters, stating that the legal advisor attached to the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, David James sits on the CoI.

The President said that there “had to be some consultation and the persons who are on the Commission, have been drawn from a wide section of the community.”

He said that the Commission performs two functions; one for indigenous people’s rights and for the rights of Afro-Guyanese. However, the NTC in a release issued on Tuesday, noted that it was never consulted in the formation of the Commission and that it cannot, “with any degree of sanity nor confidence, respect such a body, and will refuse to cooperate with such a body.”