APNU Presidential Candidate, Brigadier (ret’d) David Granger and Campaign Director, Joseph Harmon on Thursday met with the Rastafarian Council to determine if there was opportunity for them to work together.
A release from A Partnership for National Unity said that the community was represented by a group which included Ras Leon Saul, Ras Simion, Ras Benjie, Ras Nine, Sister Cole, and Ras Iron.
It said that council members voiced concerns that no one in the Government was currently representing the interests of the Rasta community. “Specifically interests which include the violation of human rights in Guyana, freedom of worship, youth unemployment, police brutality, and crime, domestic violence and working conditions for single women; especially those in the security service industry who work during the night, and have no choice but to leave their children at home alone, many who fall prey to child molesters, early pregnancy, and other forms of abuse.”
According to the release, members acknowledged that traditionally, Rastafarians were not involved in the political process and that the meeting was in fact breaking ground and paving the way for them to be involved as a civil group in the partnership.
Granger, according to the release, committed to working to ensure the survival of the Rastafarian community. He added that issues highlighted by the council were issues which concerned Guyana’s survival as a nation.
