APNU promises law school scholarships, return of seized lands

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 August 2025, 22:41 by Writer

Presidential candidate for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton on Tuesday night promised Guyanese law degree holders scholarships to attend law school if his coalition clinches victory at the September 1 general and regional elections.

“I am saying to all and sundry in this country that the next APNU government will give scholarships to all of those students once they have the ability and the requisite certification that they can become lawyers,” he said.

Law degree holders must pursue the Certificate of Legal Education at one of the Council of Legal Education’s law schools in Trinidad, Jamaica or The Bahamas. Guyana was earlier this year expected to submit a proposal to the Council for establishing a law school here.

Citing discrimination against “poor people,” Mr Norton said the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration stopped that scholarship scheme that had been put in place by the then David Granger-led APNU+Alliance For Change administration.

The APNU presidential candidate committed to having the law school scholarship scheme, suggesting that that would help to strengthen the capacity of communities to defend themselves. “If they deprive poor people children of becoming lawyers, by the same token they are leaving villages without lawyers so they can go in and do as they like,” said the UK-trained international relations expert and former foreign service officer.

Mr Norton also told residents of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara that lands seized from Guyanese by the PPPC administration would be returned to them.

He recalled that several long-term residents had been evicted from Cane View, Mocha, East Bank Demerara, lands that the government said were part of its reserve parallel to the Heroes Highway. “There will be a restitution commission and anyone, who would have lost land or anything under the PPP regime, will get justice from the APNU. Those lands will be given back to the people of Mocha,” he said.

According to Mr Norton, who is also leader of APNU’s parent party, the People’s National Congress Reform, should his coalition of mainly small and little known parties secure political power, each Guyanese 18 years and older who is working for GY$400,000 and less and does not own a house would get a free house lot. “You can take that to the bank…We commit to giving you lands free of cost,” said the Cuban and Guyanese-trained political scientist.