President makes proposal to ease controversy over lands commission

From left (second row): Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Trevor Benn, President David Granger, Ted Lucas, Ron James, Jean La Rose and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. Front row: Earl Thomas, Benson Thomas and Laura George.  (Ministry of the Presidency photo)

President David Granger has proposed a five-point plan to ensure that the work of the controversial Lands Commission of Inquiry (CoI) meets the needs and addresses the concerns of all stakeholders.

The President’s proposal comes amid fierce opposition by Amerindian leaders to his plan to have a CoI address together, the land claims of freed Africans and Amerindian land titling. Amerindian leaders are suspicious that this could result in an erosion of their land claims and they also charge that they were not consulted by the President on these matters.

A release from the Ministry of the Presidency last night said that during a meeting with executive members of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) at State House, yesterday, the Head of State made it clear that there was nothing