I return to the issue of mining on Amerindian lands because of the international dimension introduced by a letter to the Government from the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD). The letter expressed concern over mining on Amerindian lands of the Isseneru and Kako communities and has asked the Government to […]
Tag Archives: government
THE SPEAKER’S DECISION CANNOT BE REVERSED.
The view of the Opposition that a Member of the National Assembly can be prevented from speaking is nothing but weird. This battle was fought in England hundreds of years ago and was settled in 1689. Guyana must be the first country which inherited the British Parliamentary system in which this issue had to be […]
REPAIRING GUYANA’S BROKEN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
The debate about the most suitable form of government for Guyana has been ongoing since the 1970s and continues with vigour today. Ravi Dev wrote on the issue recently in the Kaieteur News and Henry Jeffrey made suggestions earlier this week in SN. After the 1973 elections, at which the PNC seized a two-third majority, […]
ELECTORAL REFORM.
Both the PPP and the PNCR supported the proposals for electoral reform which were recommended by the Constitution Reform Commission (“CRC”) in 2000. The CRC had recommended the retention of the proportional representation system but urged that the “electoral system should include an element of geographical representation.” While the CRC did not make any recommendations […]
MINING ON AMERINDIAN LANDS
Now that the dust has settled and emotions have subsided, it might be a good time to dispassionately consider the meaning of the Court’s decision in the Isseneru Case which attracted some attention recently. To grasp its full significance and implications, we need to go back in time.