The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has become the target of criticism from Guyana’s Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, and Minister of Finance, Ashni Singh. The GHRA has issued a press release on March 25th, 2023, continuing the public exchanges with the government. The GHRA’s criticism concerns the Guyana government’s hasty signing of a contract for a “One ID” system without proper legislative controls. GHRA Co-President Mike McCormack has responded to the Attorney General’s rebuttal by refuting the accusations and providing the requested information.
One of Anil Nandlall’s accusations against the GHRA is that it has not complied with the Companies Act and owes G$38.6 million in penalties. McCormack clarifies that the penalty is on the directors, not the GHRA itself, and that the maximum penalty is $600 per day. He also highlights that the Registrar of Companies can only strike off the company or apply Section 522, which requires prosecution and conviction with a fine of thirty thousand dollars. McCormack argues that the notion that there is G$38.6 million to be collected from the GHRA or its Directors is baseless.
McCormack responds to the information requested by Nandlall, including audited statements, names of the elected GHRA Executive, and the mechanism for electing the Executive. He explains that the information was provided in a press release issued following the biennial meeting in 2018, which was circulated to all media in Guyana and abroad. McCormack also notes that more than half of the newly-elected Executive were below thirty years of age, addressing the criticism that the GHRA is “ageing.”
With regards to funding, McCormack states that the GHRA relies on voluntary donations from members and supporters, as well as fundraising activities, mainly to cover the GHRA Centre’s repairs and administrative expenses. He emphasizes that the GHRA accepts no money from individual Governments, domestic or foreign, and has occasionally accepted grants from multilateral agencies such as the UN. McCormack notes that the GHRA’s agenda is focused on promoting the protection and implementation of the rights listed in the Articles and Memorandum, extracted from the Guyana Constitution and the international Conventions ratified by the Government of Guyana.
The AG seems to have overlooked the fact that his biased examination of GHRA’s corporate past and his malicious criticisms of co-founder Mike McCormack demonstrate to the public the potential hazards of a “One ID” card scheme. Such a system would function as a primary indexing system for all of a person’s transactions and activities, and would be perilous in the possession of any government, let alone the PPP administration, which is already misusing their authority to penalize a civil society organization that is protecting the rights of Guyanese citizens.
