Revocation of Land COI -motion to rescind inquiry challenges nothing – says Allicock
Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock
Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock

AN OPPOSITION motion which wants government to consider revoking the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) seeks to discuss the “non-existent,” Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock has noted.

Allicock made the notion on Monday evening when the National Assembly debated the motion which was moved by Former Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Campbell-Sukhai. The motion calls for the revocation of the CoI surrounding the claims by Amerindian Land titling, the individual, joint or communal ownership of lands acquired by freed Africans and any other land titling in Guyana.

The Fourth Vice-President told the National Assembly that the “motion sees and seeks to discuss the non-existent,” noting that it “challenges nothing.”
He said that the motion’s existence appeared synonymous with moves by executive members of the National Toshaos Council (NTC). He noted that four days before the motion came up for debate in the National Assembly, two leading members of the NTC sought to debate the “non-existent situation,” while representing the arguments of the Opposition.

According to him, the Opposition is unhappy with its current state in the National Assembly, sitting on the opposite side of the House. “This motion helps to cement their places in the Opposition beyond 2020,” he said.

PPP Parliamentarian, Pauline Campbell-Sukhai

Allicock noted that the information contained in the motion is causing unease within the indigenous community as he reiterated calls for its withdrawal. He noted too that clauses in the motion piloted by Sukhai, which centers on the Amerindian Act of 2006, suggests that period being the beginning of all things relevant to land titling.

He spoke of the history of land-titling in Guyana as it relates to the indigenous people. He said that before independence, the late Stephen Campbell, the first indigenous Guyanese legislator, embarked on a journey to ensure Amerindian rights lands are secured. He said that post-independence Guyana did not lose sight of the issue.

Allicock said the former PPP government, while in office managed to add 28 villages to those which received land titles, taking the overall figure to 105. He noted however, that there is little mention by the PPP of the remaining 77 villages of the 105.

He called for the withdrawal of the motion, and called on Sukhai to retreat into political retirement. Sukhai noted on Monday evening that the motion is based on the premise of Amerindian land titling and claims. She said that land titling should have “no place in the current established COI on lands.”

During her presentation, she explained each clause of the motion, noting in one clause that it is explained that the mandate of the CoI could undermine the legitimacy of Amerindian land rights and lead to the dispossession of land titles and future land titling.

She said that the CoI is being “sprung upon the indigenous people,” noting that she was dissatisfied and disappointed in the establishment of the inquiry. According to her, the Executive sought no audience or dialogue with the Indigenous people or their representatives, including the NTC.

Sukhai called on the government to re-examine the CoI. The debate on the motion will continue on June 15 when the National Assembly meets again.

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