PNCR Leader Robert Corbin and the party’s Chief Whip Lance Carberry were yesterday cleared by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) of espousing “race hate” earlier this year, when during a press conference they insinuated that the PPP and the Bharrat Jagdeo were the main oppressors of Afro-Guyanese.
The complaint against them was made by the Office of the President (OP), which said Cabinet requested that the ERC conduct the necessary inquiry and take appropriate action.
In January, Carberry, while reading from a prepared statement on the “PPP and Jagdeo attempting political hijacking of people of African descent,” had said: “…Most shocking is the report of the planned state launching of this event later in January where it is proposed to place the main oppressor of African Guyanese over the past 19 years to dominate. Latest information is that the President has instructed that no prominent African Guyanese that holds different views from that of the ruling party should appear on the opening programme at which he is scheduled to make the feature presentation.”
At the press conference, when Corbin was asked to “identify the main oppressor of the Afro-Guyanese people,” he said: “The main oppressor is obvious…we have been speaking of marginalisation in this country for the last few years.” He added, “At the latter part of 2010 we saw the mad rush to Linden to dole out money and to do a number of things which they neglected to do for years and the march on Buxton after many years by the President to suddenly give the impression that they are concerned with the marginalised villages…I do not think that the oppressors are
difficult to identify.”
A recording of the press conference had been aired on Channel 9, after which OP lodged a complaint with the ERC. The complaint was made following a meeting of Cabinet on January 18.
In reporting its findings, the ERC said that “it is not the Commission’s considered opinion that the comments made by the two gentlemen amount to ‘race hate’ in the context of the existing legal framework.”
The ERC said also that “it cannot be disputed that there is a perception by some Guyanese that the current administration is oppressing and marginalising Afro-Guyanese and it is plausible that this may resonate with some segments of the population.” Further, the ERC said that the body itself has not found any evidence of marginalisation and that it does not subscribe to the view that the current administration is an oppressor of African Guyanese. “It is the Commission’s view that while it is aware of several allegations of victimisation based on ethnicity and marginalisation, the Commission has not to date received any credible evidence that the Government has a policy of discriminating against Afro- Guyanese,” it stated. “This being the case, the Commission wishes to emphasise, does not mean racism subtle or otherwise does not exist in Guyana,” the body added.
“While the Commission respects the rights and views of others, it charges all political parties to act responsibly and refrain from unhealthy discourses that have the potential to mislead, or perhaps pander deliberately to ethnic insecurities that may cause unease and mistrust based on race,” the ERC also said.
