Jagdeo assents to Ethnic Relations bill Sees it as crucial to social, economic progress By Patrick Denny Stabroek News August 12, 2000 At 11:45 am yesterday, President Bharrat Jagdeo signed into law the Ethnic Relations Commission Bill (Constitution (Amendment) Bill No 2/2000) which he said symbolises the firm commitment of his government and all other parties involved, in building a cohesive society. He promised that he "will spare no effort nor resources on ensuring that the Commission comes into early existence and is in a position to fulfill its functions, consistent with the Act." President Jagdeo added that because enabling legislation was needed to bring the Commission and its Tribunal into being, he had already encouraged Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Reepu Daman Persaud "to work with his colleagues in the National Assembly to bring this to fruition, at the earliest time." Persaud told Stabroek News after the ceremony that he had already begun engaging the parties in this regard. Commenting on the multi-party consensus which was achieved on the bill, President Jagdeo noted "we need to build on this resolve so as to make the Ethnic Relations Commission effective." Also, he said that "the multi-party consensus that led to the Ethnic Relations Commission Act bespeaks the type of progress we can make when we work together and stay focused on pertinent national issues. This is just another timely reminder about the need for us to expand this partnership in the interest of all Guyanese." "For me, any step that will erode suspicion or pronounce on allegations or acts of discrimination or racism will go a far way in accelerating the social and economic progress of our nation." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- President Jagdeo praised the "Oversight Committee on Constitutional Reform and those who were involved in the inter-party dialogue process for their consistent work and dedicated time in framing this law." "I value, as an exceptionally positive development, the cooperation of all the political parties in ensuring the passage of this legislation." The President observed that an Ethnic Relations Commission was long overdue as "in plural societies such as ours, there must be a dedicated functioning body that citizens trust with finding remedies to their complaints." "For me, any step that will erode suspicion or pronounce on allegations or acts of discrimination or racism will go a far way in accelerating the social and economic progress of our nation." Drawing attention to the first three of the twenty-four functions of the Commission, he urged all Guyanese "to extend our fullest cooperation and make constructive use of the mechanism that will flow from it." The functions of the Commission to which President Jagdeo referred are the promotion of equality of opportunity between persons of different ethnic groups and the promotion of harmony and good relations between such persons; the elimination of all forms of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity; and the discouragement and prohibition of all persons, institutions, political parties and associations from indulging in, advocating or promoting discrimination or discriminatory practices on the ground of ethnicity. Among the enabling legislation required for activating the Commission is a bill which would determine the organisations to be represented on it and the consensual mechanism to be employed by them to nominate their representatives for appointment to the Commission. The bill provides for these members to number no less than five and no more than fifteen and for the chairman and deputy chairman of the Commission to be chosen by and from these members. Among the entities which the bill provides should be represented are religious bodies, the labour movement, the private business sector, and youth and women. Other members of the Commission will include nominees from the Indigenous People's Commission, the Women and Gender Equality Commission, the Commission for the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Commission. The Bill was assented to before a gathering in the Credentials Room of the Office of the President which included government ministers and representatives of civil society and students from Queen's College, St Stanislaus College and President College, Bishop's High School and the New Amsterdam Multilateral School. The bill received its Third Reading in the National Assembly on August 3 and Persaud, said that it had the support of more than two-thirds of the members of the National Assembly. Persaud who welcomed the gathering said that because the bill had the support of all the political parties, the decision was taken that it should be assented to in public. He said that the bill now made possible the establishment of a mechanism which would give security to all the ethnic groups in the country. Chairman of the Council of Churches, Bishop Juan Edgehill, speaking with reporters after the ceremony said that the Act was a "good step forward" and what had to be done was "to put names to positions and I would hope that will be done in the same spirit that the whole discussion in the National Assembly took place." Bishop Edgehill was also pleased that the assent to the bill was done publicly as "because often times, in issues like these, things happen and the masses are not aware." Among the representatives of civic society present in addition to Information Minister, Moses Nagamootoo; Transport Minister, Tony Xavier; Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Saisnarine Kowlessar; Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj; Attorney General, Charles Ramson; and Human Services and Social Security Minister, Indra Chandarpal; were Private Sector Commission chairman, George Jardim; human rights activists, Mike McCormack; Integrity Commission chairman, Bishop Randolph George, and its members Chandra Gajraj and Fazeel Ferouz; Oversight Committee member, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and Constitution Reform Commission member, Aubrey Collins. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today