IAC wants speedy swearing-in of new ERC members

Days after the National Assembly had approved the appointment of 10 members to serve on the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), the Indian Action Committee (IAC) is calling for the new appointees to be sworn in at the earliest date possible, so that they can commence work.
In a congratulatory statement on Sunday, the IAC welcomed the House’s approval of the new body.
“This long overdue decision, which the IAC has repeatedly called for, clears the way for the members to be officially appointed and sworn-in by H.E. President David Granger. This IAC is therefore hoping that this process can be expedited, so that the Commission can commence its work soonest,” the cultural body posited.
Furthermore, the Committee reiterated its position on the importance of the ERC, saying that the Commission is most critical in helping to foster social cohesion. To this end, the IAC urged “full national support” for the ERC, as well as full provision of the requisite resources so that it can carry out its functions efficiently.
After months of consultations and delays, the National Assembly, on Friday evening, approved 10 persons from various organisations to serve as members of the ERC. The new members include Dr. John O. Smith from the Christian bodies; Sister Rajkumarie Singh representing the Hindu bodies; and Roshan Khan from the Muslim bodies.
The Labour Movement bodies nominated Norris Emanuel Witter as their representative; the Private Sector Organisations’ representative is Major-General (Retd.) Norman McLean, while the Youth Organisations are represented by Deodat Persaud and the Women Organisations by Ruth Howard.
Additionally, the Cultural and Ethnic bodies appointed Barrington Braithwaite as their representative for Afro-Guyanese; Neaz Subhan represents Indo-Guyanese; and Ashton Simon represents Indigenous and Amerindian bodies.
Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton told the House that while it would have been more appropriate for the members to be already selected for such an important body, there were several hindrances to the process.
Nevertheless, he expressed satisfaction that the appointments have been approved. The last ERC was dissolved in 2011.