Lands commission will ensure equitable distribution of habitable lands

May 23, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
With the establishment of the lands commission of enquiry the President has made the first step towards the equitable distribution of the remaining habitable lands to deprived citizens of this country. It must not be forgotten that under the previous administration lands were given away or sold to the wealthy or friends of government officials while the poor and voiceless looked on. This resulted in only the rich and favoured along with Amerindian communities owning a considerable percentage of the land in Guyana.
With regard to Amerindian lands this enquiry will not only address land issues but will also reveal the injustices done to thousands of Amerindians residing out of Amerindian communities who cannot benefit from lands reserved for them or other incentives provided by the government and other sources because they are considered as “outsiders’ by village councils who reject their application for land. Any Amerindian should be able to acquire land in any Amerindian community as long as land is available and basic requirements are met regardless of their tribe, religious beliefs or gender.
It is unreasonable for Amerindians living in hinterland communities to be seeking priority in acquiring more land because they already own 13.8% of the land in Guyana, they are presently lobbying for a further 14%, they can be granted extension to their lands and they can legally acquire land in non Amerindian communities. Most glaringly is the fact that Amerindian communities do not have the resources to develop the land they already own and wanting more is laughable. There can never be a fair distribution of land to all citizens when Amerindians can legally acquire land in non Amerindian communities but non Amerindians cannot acquire land in Amerindian territory.
I think that the NTC has its priority mixed up because the problem is not the lands commission but the government’s disregard for the Amerindian Act in the governance of the Amerindian people. Provisions are presented in the Act to deal with land issues. The NTC is an illegal body because almost all provisions in the Act with respect to the holding of village leaders’ elections were disregarded in the last Toshaos and councillors elections.
With this in mind emphasis should be placed on the strict adherence to the provisions in the Act by the government and also the Amerindian people.
Finally statements made by the vice chairman of the NTC to the effect that Amerindians would not support the present government in the 2020 elections if the commission is not withdrawn should not be taken as a threat by the government because the coalition won the 2015 elections without the support of almost all Amerindian communities.
Patrick Fitzpatrick.

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