Sukhai accused of meddling in the affairs of Indigenous Villages

May 03, 2024 News

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– reportedly says only Amerindians eligible to vote in village elections

Kaieteur News – The main opposition on Thursday called out Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai for allegedly meddling in the elections’ affairs of Indigenous Villages.

Speaking at a news conference hosted by Leader of the Opposition, PNCR Executive Member, Mervyn Williams said that Sukhai’s intention is to determine who gets elected in each Village, in keeping with “the known PPP policy of domination and control.” Williams told the news conference that in one case, the minister is on record as saying that only Amerindians are eligible to participate in the electoral process. “She speaks of non-Amerindians and “those who don’t look like us” in describing the mixed descendants of Indigenous Guyanese and Guyanese of other ethnicities. The latter description is cause for worry.  It is a matter that any functioning Ethnic Relations Commission would have a keen interest in inquiring into,” Williams charged.

Saying that the minister is patently wrong in her pronouncement regarding the ineligibility of non-Amerindians to participate in the Village election process, Williams pointed out that Sukhai’s observations laid bare two conflicting provisions of the Amerindian Act.  “This fact begs the question, why the PPP is hell bent on resisting calls for the resumption of the consultative process intended to result in a revised Amerindian Act?

Williams noted that Section 2 of the Act defines an “Amerindian” as “… any citizen of Guyana who – (a)    Belongs to any of the native or aboriginal peoples of Guyana, or (b)   Is a descendant of any person mentioned in paragraph (a);”  “It follows, logically, that for Pauline Sukhai to live by her publicly stated position on eligibility for participation in Village elections, the element of DNA testing may become necessary. Section 2 also defines “resident” as, “… an individual – (a)   Who is an Amerindian who was born in, lives in or has his principal place within the Village… ; or (b)    Who lives within the Village and is recognised as a resident by the membership rules of the Village;”

Williams further stated that Section 69 (1) (a) provides that the Village Council “Shall” “compile an electoral list of all adult residents” no later than sixty days before the election date. This is clear evidence that “residents” as opposed to “Amerindians” are qualified for inclusion on the voters’ roll and are entitled to vote. The Minister should read the Act and operate based on the Law. The law stipulating the publication of the list at least sixty days before the election is being violated since most of the villages were not given the sixty days’ notice as is stipulated in the Law.

The conflict arises, Williams said when it comes to eligibility to hold office in the Village.  Section 71 (1) (a) through (d) lists the prerequisites for one to be elected as a Councillor.  Among those is that one should be “… an Amerindian of at least eighteen years of age…” How can one be eligible to elect one’s leaders but not be eligible to be elected as a leader?  Can you imagine what it would be like if our Constitution said that citizens could elect a government but only one category of citizens can offer themselves as candidates? This is clearly an attempt to exclude persons the PPP are unable to control. The PPP holds on to the Amerindian Act as is, refusing to consult with the Indigenous citizens of Guyana with regard to their demand for its revision. We call on the government to immediately resume the nationwide consultation aimed at revising the Amerindian Act. These consultations which begun under the APNU+AFC were well advanced. The Minister has in her possession the Reports which emanated from the consultative process and she must act.

Williams further explained that this conflict in the legislation is causing major discomfort for residents in some Villages. “We have received reports that the names of so-called non-Amerindians are being removed from the voters’ lists in some Villages.  In many reported cases, persons of other ethnicities living in Villages for more than fifty years, married to Indigenous spouses, their union producing children, and grandchildren, watch on in horror as Village Councils post voters’ lists from which their names have been deleted. This is electoral fraud. The PPP government is causing serious divisions in Villages. Massive disenfranchisement is taking place. Families are now embroiled in conflict over exclusion from the electoral process. Children of Indigenous and mixed parentage can no longer participate in the electoral process.   PPP operatives now have no regard for their Indigenous lineage and the definition of “resident” in the legislation.”

According to Williams, over in Campbelltown in Region #8, former Toshao Marbel Thomas who was unlawfully removed from her elected office soon after the PPP assumed office has again been a target of Pauline Sukhai.  “Ms. Thomas told her story on social media.  She claims that after being nominated, seconded, and having her name placed on the list of nominees for the position of Toshao, the returning officer received a phone call.  Following that call, Ms. Thomas alleged that the returning officer removed her name from the list of nominees.  She alleged that the returning officer explained that he received instruction that caused him to remove her name. This is unlawful and a manifestation of the dictatorial nature of the PPP. The PPP must allow the residents of Indigenous communities to elect the leaders of their choice and allow Returning Officers to function independently and not be dictated to by PPP politicians,” Williams reported.

Williams said Marbel Thomas satisfies Section 71 of the Act in its entirety. “Notwithstanding her unlawful removal from elected office, she did not present herself as a candidate in the election immediately following her removal.  She was never convicted of any criminal offence.  What then is her crime? Only Pauline Sukhai can enlighten us as to the reason(s) for Marbel Thomas not being eligible to be a candidate for the Campbelltown Village election. Vindictive is a word that springs to mind, because the Minister seems not to care about the massive allegations of corruption on the part of some elected officials whom the PPP supports for re-election. Pauline Sukhai must tell the Indigenous population of Guyana the reason some Villages enjoy one month between nomination and election dates while others have only one to four days in some cases, and in others, both nomination and elections being conducted on the same day. In some cases, the tradition of holding elections on Sundays to facilitate the full participation of Villagers who work outside of the Village is now being discarded and conveniently abandoned,” Williams told the news conference. Williams said these village elections in 2024 are laying bare the PPP desire for total domination and control of the Indigenous Guyanese population. “The Indigenous peoples of Guyana reject, in the strongest terms, the PPP’s unrelenting campaign to exercise total domination and control over their very lives.”

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• affairs, Amerindians, Indigenous Villages, Mervyn Williams, PNCR Executive Member

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