— challenges Alexander’s claims of marginalisation

ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, has pushed back strongly against claims that the government is marginalising Afro-Guyanese, stating instead that this demographic is enjoying unprecedented levels of socio-economic progress in Guyana’s history.
His remarks come in the wake of recent comments made by Vincent Alexander, a political activist and elections commissioner, at the 4th session of the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
At the international forum, Alexander accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration of systematically marginalising Afro-Guyanese, a statement that has drawn sharp responses from government officials. He also accused the government of seizing ancestral lands—acquired through the historic village movement—without compensation, using institutional and legal manipulation.

“If a forensic audit is ever done, it would reveal that Afro-Guyanese are currently better off than they have ever been in the history of Guyana,” Nandlall said during his weekly programme ‘Issues in the News.’ “And I say that without any fear of being contradicted successfully, and I invite any debate to this effect.”

Nandlall described Alexander’s remarks at the UN as misleading, arguing that they paint a false and divisive picture of the state of ethnic equity in Guyana.

According to the Attorney General, the government’s policies and programmes have been inclusive and equitable, with tangible benefits being realised across all communities, including Afro-Guyanese.
During the programme, Nandlall highlighted a range of concrete initiatives implemented by the PPP/C government to support the Afro-Guyanese community.

For instance, he noted that the very government Alexander is accusing of marginalising Afro-Guyanese was the same one that, in 2014, supported a United Nations motion to dedicate a decade to people of African descent.
As part of the decade, Nandlall pointed out that while Alexander served as Chair of the International Decade for People of African Descent–Guyana (IDPAD-G), the organisation received approximately $500 million from both the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) and PPP/C governments, yet did little to advance the welfare of Afro-Guyanese.

“Let him [Alexander] point out a single project of worth that he has done with $500 million. I examined the accounting records of IDPAD-G, and over 70 per cent of the money they were receiving was spent on expendables, current liabilities, expenses, food, supplements, rental, wages, and salaries—and one or two scholarships they gave to people. They spent $300 million on rent and salaries, and $5 million in scholarships for Afro-Guyanese children,” the Attorney General said.
He added that Alexander failed to tell the UN what the APNU+AFC coalition did for Afro-Guyanese, stating, “[He said] nothing about what they did. You know why? Because they did nothing.”

Nandlall dismissed Alexander’s claim that the government is infringing on ancestral land rights, arguing instead that land titles are now being issued to Afro-Guyanese who have occupied lands for centuries without formal documentation.
Highlighting the significance of these lands, Nandlall explained: “The African village movement is one of the most powerful success stories to have emanated from the dastard system of cruelty called slavery.”
The Senior Counsel, however, clarified that the concept of ancestral lands does not exist within the framework of land ownership or law in Guyana.

“It has no basis in our historical evolution; it is a recent invention that now forms part of the racist lexicon—it is a recent fabrication,” he stated.
Nevertheless, he noted that the government is working to ensure Afro-Guyanese receive legal titles for lands that have been passed down through generations.

“Today, our government is regularising Ann’s Grove [East Bank Demerara], a slave village without a title. They have been living there for 440 years. Over 400 families will get transports before the end of this year,” he assured.
“Currently, we are regularising three Afro-Guyanese villages at West Coast Berbice.”

According to him, individuals like Alexander “continue to sit on the backs of Afro-Guyanese,” resorting to derogatory labels such as “house slaves” and “soup drinkers” when those individuals choose not to embrace their narrative.
Highlighting what he described as the unprecedented advancement of Afro-Guyanese under the current administration, the Attorney General asserted that they are experiencing greater access to education, property, and State support than ever before.

“More Afro-Guyanese are pursuing education now than at any other point in Guyana’s history. More Guyanese are on government-funded scholarships than at any other time in our country’s history. More Afro-Guyanese are receiving cash grants and all forms of welfare grants from the Government of Guyana than they have ever received.

“Afro-Guyanese are receiving more land, and they own more property from the State than they ever enjoyed at any other point in Guyana’s history… and I can go sector by sector to show you that,” he emphasised.