US fact-finding mission coming to examine allegations of discrimination

Last Updated on Friday, 10 November 2023, 14:27 by Denis Chabrol

A 13-member delegation consisting of elected officials, business owners, human rights activists, and educational leaders from the United States will be embarking on an official fact-finding mission to Guyana, Team Leader and former Chair of the Georgia Black Caucus, Dee Dawkins-Haigler said Friday.

“The purpose of this visit is to engage in constructive dialogue with various leaders, community groups, business owners and Guyanese citizens,” she said.

She said delegation intends to use the insights gained from those meetings to inform and guide discussions with relevant leaders in Congress and the White House upon their return to the United States. By sharing the experiences and concerns raised by Guyanese-American citizens, the delegation aims to advocate for positive change and promote inclusivity and equality at both  national and international levels, she added.

Dawkins-Haigler said it is not a formal US government mission but an independent unbiased fact-finding mission.

The delegation is expected to visit Guyana from November 13 to November 19, 2023, in response to concerns raised by several opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) parliamentarians. The mission is “concerned about allegations of discrimination towards certain ethnic groups as well as Guyanese-American citizens currently residing in Guyana after reviewing the presentations.”  Those presentations were made by opposition lawmakers Roysdale Forde, David Patterson, Dawn Hastings-Williams and  Catherine Hughes.

Dawkins-Haigler explained that the mission in response to “troubling allegations outlined by the leadership of a large section of the Guyanese populace”, a newspaper letter by Mr Forde and a formal request for a fact-Finding mission to  assess allegations of discrimination, marginalization and displacement.

The Team Leader highlighted that all all allegations have been vehemently denied by President Irfaan Ali and his People’s Progressive Party Civic-led government. She said the the administration has provided numerous reports, documents and articles to counter the claims. “The President further purports that the allegations have no merit and are fueled with lies by disgruntled individuals who are trying to create chaos,” added Ms Dawkins-Haigler.

She said the members of the delegation were eagerly awaiting the responses to requests for courtesy meetings with President Irfaan  Ali, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton; General Secretary of the Alliance for Change, Sherod Duncan; Leader of the Alliance for Change, Khemraj Ramjatan, and General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform, Dawn  Hastings-Williams – General Secretary of the People’s National Congress. She said the requests were sent on Wednesday November 8, 2023.

The opposition APNU and AFC have persistently accused the mainly Indo-Guyanese backed PPP of discriminating against Afro-Guyanese in the award of contracts, land allocation, some jobs and natural resource-related permits. President Irfaan Ali earlier this year led a delegation to the United States where he met with members of the Black Caucus, Congressmen and Senators and insisted that his government is running the country to the benefit of all Guyanese.

The members of the US delegation are John Richard Christopher King of the South Carolina House of Representatives and former Chair of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus; Dr. Amber M. Baker of the North Carolina General Assembly and Member, Appropriations & Commerce Committees; Debra Bazemore of the Georgia House of Representatives and Minority Caucus Chief Deputy Whip; Hillman T. Frazier of State of Mississippi Senate and Chair, Senate Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee; Rhetta Bowers of the Texas House of Representatives and Member of the Criminal Jurisprudence, Homeland Security & Public Safety Committees; G.A Hardaway of the Tennessee House of Representatives and former Chair, Tennessee Legislative Black Caucus; Annie E. McDaniel of the South Carolina House of Representatives and Vice Chair, Operations and Management Committee; Gerald Neal of the State of Kentucky Senate and Minority Floor Leader and Dr. Michael Rhett of the George State Senate and Member, Finance & Judiciary Committees.

Civic leaders are Mr. Marcus Coleman Founder and CEO, Save OurSelves (SOS) and Human Rights Activist; Dr. DeAndre S. Pickett  Principal Consultant, 357 Education Group Educational & Social Justice Advocate and Latron Price Managing Operator/Co-Owner, Westside Community Market, LLC Economic & Social Justice Advocate as well as Dr. Dee Dawkins-Haigler President/CEO, Organization of World Leaders and former Chair, Georgia Legislative Black Caucus