Parliament approves Kaieteur Park (Amendment) Bill
A Bill amending the Kaieteur National Park Act to be termed the Kaieteur National Park (Amendment) Bill 2000, was approved by the National Assembly on Thursday without support from the Alliance for Guyana (AFG).
AFG representative in the House, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, contended that an issue in relation to the said National Park Bill is before the Court. In the circumstances, he asked that the Bill be set aside until the determination of a Court ruling.
Speaking after Roopnaraine, Leader of the Opposition People's National Congress (PNC) Mr Desmond Hoyte, whose party along with The United Force (TUF) had earlier entered support for the Bill, said he, too, felt that the House should await the Court's ruling.
Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who piloted the Bill through its stages, said the Bill seeks to emphasise that Amerindian rights in the extended boundaries of the Kaieteur National Park would remain intact.
He recalled that the Kaieteur National Park was established by Act 41 of 1929 with an area of about 45 square miles. This area was reduced in 1975 to 25 square miles.
Mr Hinds said that Kaieteur Falls became known to the world by Arlington Brown, who was the first European to see the wonder.
The Falls is considered by Guyanese as one of the natural wonders of the world.
According to the Prime Minister, the PPP administration, on its ascension to office, inherited calls for the expansion of the Kaieteur National Park (KNP), and in October 1994 took a decision to have it enlarged.
He noted that between then and 1999, surveys were executed and consultations held with residents of the area.
A publication was made in April 1999, following which villagers from Chenapau with support from the Amerindians People's Association (APA) visited the then President Janet Jagan, who promised that Amerindian rights will be maintained.
The Prime Minister noted that those complaints have indeed been addressed in the Bill.
Additionally, the Prime Minister said, accompanied by Minister Vibert De Souza, he recently visited the Chenapau area where further dialogue was held with the residents.
The villagers had raised concerns about their loss of freedom in the area, and the Prime Minister said these concerns were all adequately addressed.
Calling on his colleagues in the House to support the Bill, Prime Minister Hinds said though it is a small step, it must be seen as one towards building confidence with "our Amerindian brothers and sister of Chenapau".
PNC Parliamentarian Raphael Trotman said that his Party will lend support to the Bill although they are aware that the villagers of Chenapau are not comfortable with the manner in which the issue was pursued.
Noting that the Amerindian "brothers and sisters" were once again without proper representation, Trotman said the PNC Party stands ready to come to the aid of those villagers if need be.
Dr Roopnaraine, though welcoming the background information, said the narrative was lacking in several areas.
One such gap he mentioned has to do with the fact that after the March 1999 Amendment, an Amendment Order of 1999 to extend the area was taken before the House.
He, too, spoke of a delegation visiting then President Jagan adding, that they left with the assurance from her that the Kaieteur National Park Act would have been amended to the extent that it would save existing Amerindian rights, and too, ensure that their culture is protected.
However, when the draft was produced and circulated to the Amerindian community one month later, it was rejected in its totality by the Chenapau community and the Amerindian community on a whole.
Roopnaraine, who expressed his discomfort with the use of the word `consultation', alluded to the great pains taken by the Oversight Committee (OSC) on Constitutional Reform to ensure that the said word was defined.
He said the OSC also took time to ensure that specific criteria were set aside if the word is to be used.
Roopnaraine further expressed disappointment that a reference was made in the House to the Amerindian Act, and it was agreed in the said National Assembly, that it would be removed from the books of Guyana as being an "ancient, colonial instrument..." and had no place in this country's model legislation.
He contended that it is regrettable to have an interpretation which reads, in this Act (the word) "Amerindian" has the same meaning as in the Amerindian Act.
PPP member of Parliament and Adviser to the President on Science, Technology and the Environment, Mr Navin Chandarpal, speaking in support of the Bill said the legislation was needed to facilitate Government's commitment to the residents of the area.
He contended that the use of the `Amerindian Act' as a definition for `Amerindian' was for the benefit of the Amerindians themselves.
Chandarpal spoke of the need for sustainable development and said this requires having to balance and preserve the fragile eco-system protecting the environment and ensuring that the present resources are available for the future generations.
This, the Presidential Adviser said, will require "sensible thinking and the evaluation of alternatives."
He added that Government is committed to the establishment of a National Protected Areas System (NPAS), as well as projects and programmes related to the National Biodiversity Programme.
To this end, approaches have been made to a number of agencies to assist with funding for the development of the Amerindian community, so that they, too, can benefit from the Kaieteur National Park scheme.
One of the positive results to the approach is the $30M grant from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Chandarpal said the money has not yet been accessed because the residents of the Amerindian community were being ill-advised by other factions on the issue.
He nevertheless expressed the hope that they would rethink their position. Chandarpal also questioned the role of international agencies, whose views he noted, were not always in the best interest of the community. (WENDELLA DAVIDSON)
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