Coalition thwarted in attempt to cut funding for Amerindians

THE APNU+AFC on Tuesday failed in a bid to vote down the capital expenditures under the Amerindian Affairs Ministry in the National Assembly. The coalition was outvoted 32 to 25 with two Members of Parliament (MPs) abstaining from the vote.
The odd move by the Coalition occurred on Tuesday during the consideration of the agency estimates in the Committee of Supply.
Had the coalition been successful in voting down the $845M, funds for development in Amerindian communities in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine would have been cut.

The allocation the opposition unsuccessfully voted against is disbursed under the ministry’s Community Development and Empowerment Programme.
The division vote was proposed by coalition parliamentarian, Ganesh Mahipaul.
Missing from the opposition side during the vote was their Chief Whip, Christopher Jones and Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon.
Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Campbell-Sukhai said the opposition voted against sums to support agriculture, youth development, investment funds, tourism and developmental projects, the reinstatement of the CSOs the coalition sent home when they assumed office in 2015 and transport that will include the procuring of ATVs and pickup trucks for Amerindian villages.
In the celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month, the minister said it is a travesty that the APNU+AFC saw it fit to vote against development and relief for Amerindians countrywide.

“Over the past five years the APNU+AFC Government had stifled the growth and development of Amerindians,” the subject minister said, adding: “They are vindictive because they feel they did not get the majority of votes (electoral) and support from the Amerindians so they are intent on discriminating them.”
Government MP, Dr. Thandika Smith, was also taken aback by the move by the coalition.
“I had firsthand experience of seeing the most malicious and discriminatory act by the APNU+AFC as they voted against over $800M for the development of Amerindian Communities,” she said, contending that the mindset of the coalition seems to be a continuation of what the APNU+AFC had done over the past five years.

The rigging cabal is trying to marginalized the Indigenous people by voting down their development budget.
Vindictive .

The Amerindian people we’re neglected for 5 years. They did not stay quiet. With their dignity in hand and their gentleness, they voted and let their voices rise and help to vote David Granger’s APNU/AFC government out of office. The PPP government immediately in the 2020 budget sought to restore Amerindian benefits and development, including rehiring of more than 2000 CSOs. This afternoon in Parliament in a shameless example of revenge APNU/AFC voted against $845M in capital budget for Amerindians. They voted against the CSOs, against trucks, ATVs, boats etc for the Amerindian people. Shameful. And this during Amerindian heritage month. But the PPP 33 votes ensure that the budget was passed. The PPP will stand up with, and for the Amerindian people, just as they would for all the citizens of Guyana, no matter who they voted for