ALLIANCE For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP), Ms. Valerie Garrido-Lowe, has been criticised for her comments on allocations to support the transportation needs of children in the hinterland regions.

Valerie Garrido-Lowe questioned the spending on transport for Amerindian children, when other children on the coastland are not afforded the same facility, an observation that was widely heckled in the National Assembly.

Her remarks were made in the National Assembly last Thursday, when the House considered a $500M provision for projects and programmes in Amerindian communities.
She questioned the spending on transport for Amerindian children, when other children on the coastland are not afforded the same facility, an observation that was widely heckled in the forum.

Valerie Garrido-Lowe

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mr. Clement Rohee, at the Freedom House press conference yesterday, declared that the MP’s views were unconscionable, particularly given that one of her platforms as a member of the AFC, is the representation of the needs and problems of persons living in hinterland Guyana.
Rohee said the Opposition remains a source of discomfort for the Amerindians, especially with the statement from AFC Member of Parliament Garrido-Lowe, who stated, among other things, that ‘Amerindian children do not deserve transportation to take them to school’.
According to him, the AFC MP’s assertions are “especially” disappointing, as was the fact that her views received support from her colleague Opposition MPs, “none of whom objected or disagreed” with her contention.

GROWING DISSATISFACTION
The General Secretary maintained that the positions of the joint Opposition continue to feed growing dissatisfaction among Guyanese.
During the debate on the $500M provision, the House considered a motion from Leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, to cut $300M from the proposal which was taken to the House in a supplementary financial paper tabled by Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh.
As the House commenced its sitting, Amerindians from various regions turned out in their numbers outside the Public Buildings to protest Ramjattan’s move. Among those represented were members of The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG) and staff of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.
Rohee stated that the protest was not in vain as MPs voted and the provision was not reduced, while, on the voting itself, 30 members abstained, two voted against it and 32 MPs were in support, resulting in the approval of the $500M.
“The PPP congratulates the Amerindian representatives who picketed the Opposition outside Parliament, challenging the motion by AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan…the picketing exercise was not in vain as it forced the Opposition to abandon its position,” he observed.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms. Pauline Sukhai, had told the House that the $500M supplementary funding came on the heels of the just concluded National Toshaos Council meetings, which sought to provide a forum for Amerindian village leaders to plan developmental projects for their respective communities and include coverage of transportation costs for schoolchildren using both the roadways and waterways and costs to develop roads and access paths to promote trade and agriculture, among other priority areas.

By Vanessa Narine