- commission

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) says UN Expert on Minority Issues Gay McDougall “failed to make use” of any of the documents that it provided to inform her study.

Gay McDougall

In a press release the ERC said it had made this assumption based on a preliminary reading of the report which also revealed that McDougall did not address any of the issues raised at the meeting held with her at the Commission. It said too it has received the government’s response to the report which refutes claims made in the report and is currently studying both documents. The ERC said it had welcomed McDougall’s visit to Guyana even though it had not been consulted or programmed to meet her.

The release said after McDougall’s arrival ERC Chairman Bishop Juan Edghill submitted 11 reports to her; five of which were studies conducted by independent consultants in the areas of employment practices, land distribution, tendering and procurement, economic opportunities and academic scholarships. The ERC said hours later McDougall’s special assistant contacted it requesting a meeting “which lasted approximately forty minutes.”

The ERC said it will pronounce on the two documents at a later date. Meantime it cautioned citizens “not to be distracted by negative issues but to focus on those that can contribute to furthering the development of our people and country.” The report warned that ethnic divisions entrenched in society could escalate into violence and urged the Guyana government to take urgent steps towards national reconciliation, including the establishment of an open dialogue on inclusive governance.

Further, the expert has said there is need for a new era of political will and strong, visionary leadership to change and reverse the economic and social stagnation evident in the divided country.

The government has blasted the report as offensive and said that it failed to take account of many of its submissions.