Dear Editor,
REFERENCE is made to Earl Hamilton’s” “Shuman’s concern a figment of his ‘fertile imagination’, in Guyana Chronicle of July 29, 2019

He is right in challenging LPG leader, Lennox Shuman’s dubious contention of Indigenous people’s current geographic location, because of employment in the mining and logging sectors, will not be served by the current house-to-house registration, and that such makes it unconstitutional.

Absolute nonsense! In fact, most Amerindians can be found either in locations that are proximal to their communities, or working within the latter locations, especially with regards mining activities.

Shuman’s claims are purely opportunistic, because since entering the political scene, particularly with the launching of his party, truthfully a proxy, as Hamilton has stated in his letter, he has not given an outline on any single issue of national import, as well as playing that old card that alleges the “marginalization” of Amerindians. Since such a claim was well rebutted by Hamilton, it will not detain here, except to say that our Indigenous peoples should beware of the likes of charlatans, such as Shuman, who brings nothing to the national table except seeking to make himself a political rock star, but without band or audience.

I agree that Shuman is “arrogant”, a trait displayed at the National Toshao Council in 2017, when he publicly threatened the President about “withholding Amerindian votes if “Amerindians did not get what they should have.” One wonders why he never aimed such a threat towards the PPP/C who treated Indigenous people as “another set of Guyanese.”

Of course, Indigenous peoples are progressing gradually; but, most of all, respected as genuine stakeholders and participants in the socio-economic-political affairs of their country, in which they have a rightful place at its table as their other Guyanese citizens.
Oh, and while we are on this contention of house-to-house registration, would Schuman care to reveal his financial backers… or is he an arm of another party to split votes?
Regards
Carla Mendonca