Stabroek News
May 11, 2001

President Bharrat Jagdeo and PNC REFORM (PNC/R) leader, Desmond Hoyte, are due to meet this morning to continue their series of meetings in the dialogue process they began last month.

President Jagdeo and Hoyte should receive the terms of reference (TOR) for the seven committees they had agreed to set up, from their representatives, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Reepu Daman Persaud and PNC/R Chairman, Robert Corbin.

Persaud and Corbin have agreed not to speak to the press, preferring to allow their leaders to whom they report to release the information.

The joint statements issued after their first meeting on April 24, indicated that the committees for which Persaud and Corbin drew up TOR are:

* a joint task force to undertake the task of implementing the provisions of Local Government Reform Legislation. (This committee has a 12 months time frame for the completion of its work and it was agreed that the task force would have been set up a fortnight from April 25.)

* a joint committee to examine the various options for the resuscitation of the bauxite industry. (This committee is to submit its report within three months of its establishment.)

* a committee to examine urgently and report on a national policy for the distribution of land and house lots including relevant criteria and mechanisms. (This committee is to submit its report within a time frame yet to be determined.)

* a committee is to examine the needs of various depressed communities across Guyana and report back in six months. (While this committee is at work, they agreed to identify some areas where rehabilitation works will begin at an early date.) At their meeting on Monday, President Jagdeo and Hoyte agreed that this committee "will be asked to immediately identify some communities for the commencement of this work."

* a committee to examine the issue of the state monopoly of radio and the question of non-partisan boards of directors for the state-owned media and the National Frequency Management Unit. They said too that this committee would examine the enacting of broadcast legislation for the responsible use of the media. The time frame set for the submission of this committee's report is six weeks.

* a committee that would work on devising nationally agreed programmes for dealing with border and security issues and the recapitalisation of the army and the restoration of its capacity to protect the national interest.

· a committee to work on poverty reduction.