Dear Editor,
On Tuesday, 2nd of July I presented a petition to the Beterverwagting and Triumph Neighbourhood Democratic Council. It was my intention to give this event a bit of media coverage. Two hundred and eighty-six persons from the community had signed a petition asking the NDC to provide some pertinent information about the manner in which communal lands have been transferred to private ownership, with the hope that the response would be adequate to initiate action to re-possess wherever possible within a framework of natural justice these lands for the community.
Among the motivating factors behind the petition were: –
• The two villages of Beterverwagting and Triumph were bought by our forebears, in the post-enslavement era of British Guiana. Hence the community owns all apportioned lands.
• In the last twenty-five years or so, large tracts of lands within the community were handed over to non-villagers for different projects, which at face value would have benefited the community.
• Villagers were under the impression that these lands were leased, but today we are learning that they were sold
• None of these projects was realised and some of the lands have been resold, while another portion is now up for sale.
• On the other hand villagers who had squatted (in 1974) on some of those same lands are still to be given promised house lots.
The media in the form of a TV cameraman from HGP Channel 16/67 in Beterverwwgting, was present prior to the council meeting being called to order, and a reporter from one of the daily newspapers in Georgetown was expected.
On the arrival of the Village Chairman, Mr Bruce Adams, I informed him that I was there to deliver a petition on behalf of the residents of the community that two hundred and eighty-four had signed (two others signed later). He asked about the cameraman’s presence and I told him that he was there to cover the presentation of the petition.
At this point the Chairman said that the council at an earlier date had made a decision that none of its deliberations should be recorded.
I tried to convince him that all the press persons would be doing is covering the presentation and then they would leave, although I was not in agreement that the people’s business could not be recorded. In fact I indicated to him that all sittings of the nation’s Parliament are recorded; and those of the city council and other statutory bodies where the people’s business is deliberated on are recorded and at times presented in the public domain, thus I could not understand why our community’s business must be kept secret.
He repeatedly stated that he’ll accept the petition in the absence of the camera.
I was beginning to get from his mutterings that he would, if necessary, not have called the meeting to order.
Not wanting to be the reason for postponing village business, I decided to apologise to the cameraman present and called the newspaper reporter and apprised him of the situation.
In my wildest imaginings I could not believe that an NDC would make such a backward ruling. I have contacted personnel from three other local authorities within the last week or so and none has such a bylaw on their books. In fact to a man they agreed that a visit from the press is always welcome, for that helps to reduce the conflicts which arise as a consequence of misinformation on the part of residents.
Editor, it is my fervent hope that after the publication of this letter, that all the media houses put on their agenda a visit to the Beterverwagting and Triumph Neighbourhood Democratic Council on their statutory meeting day, the first Tuesday in every month at 4 pm.
Yours faithfully,
Elton McRae
