The government said on Wednesday that it was not surprise at the “partisian” stance taken by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) on the recent cuts to the 2012 budget by the opposition, especially the reduction of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) budget to GUY$1.

Government’s spokesman Dr Roger Luncheon told a news conference on Wednesday that
it was the same human rights body that remained silent when the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) moved to the courts to have the ERC closed

the human rights watchdog last weekend issued a strongly-worded statement which accused the government of blowing the budget cuts out of proportion, in order to drive fear into the nation.
“…Excessive language describing the opposition as ‘dictatorial’; pressuring public sector workers to demonstrate in front of Parliament; holding candle-light vigils at the state-owned NCN TV station; using state media to sustain distorted panel discussions; and the on-going disinformation campaign in interior areas, all indicate resistance to political negotiation as created by the recent elections” the GHRA said.
However Luncheon called on the body to comment publicly on the employees of the ERC who will now be jobless as a result of the cuts.

“One dollar to run the constitutional rights commission dedicated to ethnic affairs and ethnic relations for one year?, and the GHRA again… and can the GHRA publicly comment now on the spectacle on elements of the ERC staff running to beg the opposition for their job, their future their livelihood and their welfare” Luncheon asked

Luncheon described as “pure spit” the removal of the ERC’s budgetary allocation and questioned the GHRA’s rationale behind supporting the opposition cuts.

“Can the GHRA executive advise the Guyanese public whether they as a rights body, did examine the impact of the APNU/AFC budget cuts on a constitutional rights commission? can the GHRA advice citizens what if any was their deliberations on that matter assuming of course of its importance shared by them members of the executive”" Luncheon asked.

At the weekend the Office of the President and the ruling people’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in separate statements lashed out at the GHRA’s for what they described as ” a major cover up for the opposition”.

OP said it was “disdained” at the human rights body’s contention that the design of the opposition budgetary cuts targeted cosmetic allocations and without the intended effect to put workers out of their jobs and disrupt the developmental programs of the government.

The PPP/C in its statement noted, that rather than empathizing with the Guyanese public who will be affected by the cuts, the GHRA in a “major cover up “on behalf of opposition has sought to justify such actions and attacked those who have highlighted and commented on these most draconian actions on the part of the opposition.

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