OPINION: Region 10- Guyana gov’t talks

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:02 by GxMedia

by Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon.

The Negotiation Team of Region Ten is scheduled to meet with Central Government’s Negotiation Team shortly. This meeting comes after the Region held engagements with the residents on the status of the August 21, 2012 Agreement which culminated with a community meeting at the old Palm Tree Cinema, Wismar,  attended by 5000 plus residents.

The residents reiterated their position that theirs is a struggle for civil and political rights, including the right to self-determination, and that every facet of the struggle shall be conceptualized and determined by them in keeping with the freedoms and rights of individuals and regions enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana and protected by international conventions. The issues for discussions with Central Government are grounded in the Guyana Constitution. The Region expects the government will recognise that to deny the Region’s people their rights as enshrined in the Constitution is to continue the old divisive and destructive politics that has gained this country nothing more than ill repute.

The people of Region 10 have had enough of this practice and urge the Government of Guyana to embrace a new relationship in an atmosphere of mutual respect that will see the preservation of our Rights and the deepening of trust that augers for progressive nation building, peace and prosperity for all.

The economic development of the Region is a constitutional responsibility of every region and in recognition of this Central Government and its officials must honour and respect the Laws of Guyana. The Region has heard the government in its proposal for withdrawing of the names the region submitted for the two committees. Let it be clear that while the government made that proposal there was never any agreement by the partie son such a proposal. The names submitted to the government are the Region’s choice and in this process the role of the government is that of facilitator, not dictator and this region expects cognisance and respect for same as the two sides proceed.

The ongoing efforts at labeling and demonising of the Region’s people in the State media is seen as an attempt  to create roadblocks to unity and  implementation of agreements . These are clear signs of intent to deny the people in order to justify a stereotype. Region 10 condemns this negative stereotyping of them and their struggles and reminds the Government of Guyana that the same expectations that they desire for the people of Palestine must be manifested by them for the people of Guyana. It is almost impossible to comprehend how the Guyana government can stand in solidarity with Palestinians, for what they allege to be “crimes against humanity” being committed  in Gaza even as they are the perpetrators of another class of crimes against  humanity in Region 10.

 Accusing the US government of “condoning or lending support to the atrocities which are taking place in Gaza” is a reminder that a similar standard of measurement must be set for the Guyana Government. The people of Region 10 therefore calls  on the  people of Guyana to stand in solidarity  with them  and to hold this government accountable to the same moral altitude they displayed for the people of Palestine by calling on them to stop the atrocities against their own people in Region 10.

The Region cautions against any attempt to violate the spirit and intent of the agreement and the conditions that existed when the Region 10/ GOG Agreement was signed.  The people have clearly stated, amongst other things that they want their TV station to be returned and will not allow any roadblock to be established to deny them what’s rightly theirs.

Region 10 looks for progressive talks that hold true to the belief in human dignity and preservation of human rights wherever these are under threat.