The Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP), on Thursday, June 09th, expressed the hope that funds from the Guyana/Norway deal would be used for genuine national development.
The remarks were made when top leaders of the opposition grouping met Norwegian minister Counsellor Inge Nordang, who paid a courtesy call on them at Congress Place. Sophia, Georgetown.
JOPP members in discussion with Norwegian Minister Counsellor Inge Nordang at Congress Place
The JOPP was represented by Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform/Leader of the Opposition, Robert Corbin; PNCR presidential candidate, brigadier (ret’d) David Granger; PNC/R’s Vice- Chairman Dr George Norton MP; Ms Africo Selman MP; Co-Leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr Rupert Roopnarine; Martin Lopez of the Guyana Action Party (GAP), and Nicole Telford of the National Front Alliance (NFA).
The minister/counselor, who accompanied the new Norwegian ambassador to Guyana, used the opportunity to be updated on the JOPP perspectives on the current situation in Guyana. Among the issues raised by the JOPP were the current floods in Region Nine, and the MoU between Guyana and Norway on LCDS. Granger pointed to the fact that the minister has visited at a time when the recent weather phenomenon in Region Nine has proven the inadequacy of the management of Guyana’s water system, including the absence of a developed water control system in the hinterland.
He said there is no proper developed water control system in the hinterland, and there are little or no measures in place to stop the sufferings of Guyanese people in the event of a natural disaster, as is evident in the current case of Region Nine. The WPA’s Roopnarine, in dealing with the LCDS, stressed that while no Guyanese would object to funds being allocated to citizens in the hinterland, it was surprising that nothing has been allocated from the first US$70 million to deal with the sufferings of those residing along the coast.
He expressed hope that the money from the Norway Fund will not be used as forms of political bribery, but for genuine development.
He also questioned whether the Norwegian government was taking seriously the recommendations of the recent NORAD report, including the recommendation that the country’s main opposition party should have been sitting on the committee to ensure scrutiny and greater transparency of the project.
Norton raised the issue of the Land Titling and Demarcation project, and emphasised that a precondition ought to be Guyana’s observance of UN resolutions and signed conventions on the rights of Indigenous people. Guyana Action Party’s representative, Martin Lopez, noted that his party supported the concept of an LCDS, but stressed that for it to be successful, it was necessary to observe a constitutional framework and ensure equitable distribution of the resources allocated to Guyana under the REDD+ mechanisms.
The Norwegian minister/counsellor noted the concerns of JOPP and pledged to work to strengthen the Norwegian relationship with Guyana.
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