PPP/Civic, PNC near breakthrough on Ethnic Relations Commission
The parties to the Herdmanston Accord dialogue process are expected to announce agreement on the establishment of an Ethnic Relations Commission next week. It will be the singular achievement of the process since it resumed in August following the failure of the two sides to reach agreement on land allocation and house lot distribution, the only other issues discussed by them. Sources close to the talks have told Stabroek News that the teams from the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/Civic) and the People's National Congress (PNC) are now consulting with their respective executive committees to obtain approval for the understanding which they have reached during their discussions. The establishment of an Ethnic Relations Commission as a constitutional body was recommended by the Constitution Reform Commission and approved for inclusion in the new constitution by the National Assembly. Stabroek News understands that it has been proposed that the Ethnic Relations Commission should have a secretariat and would be provided with the resources and authority to investigate allegations of discrimination. It understands too that there has been agreement on a consensus mechanism for the appointment of the members of the Commission and the areas from which the members would be drawn. Sources say that it is important that agreement was reached on such a mechanism since the Commission would have to enjoy the confidence of the people and the political parties or it would not get off the ground. They pointed to the fate of the Race Relations Commission which the government established without the participation of the PNC. Sources say too that with agreement in the dialogue process on the Ethnic Relations Commission, it is expected that it will be incorporated into the new constitution, thus easing the work of the Task Force that is to be appointed. It is also anticipated that there would be some indication as to whether resources are to be provided for the continued retention of the CARICOM facilitator, Maurice King, QC. King's contract runs to the end of December and CARICOM is to make a decision as to whether or not it will fund a third extension of his involvement in the process.
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