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National Youth Parliament is a mockery

Mar 19, 2011 News

A group calling itself the Guyana National Advocate Youth Parliament has challenged the authenticity and credibility of the National Youth Parliament, headed by information liaison to the President, Kwame McCoy.
The group, which was recently registered, is challenging the current McCoy-led body on the ground that it is unconstitutional, politically affiliated and not in sync with the constitution of the World Youth Parliament.
Three of the group’s executive members, Anthony Nestor, who is a representative of the World Youth Parliament; Jael Headley, President of the Guyana National Advocate Youth Parliament; and Pooran Appadu, Treasurer, visited this newspaper on Tuesday to set the record straight with regards to their plans and agenda.
Nestor, a Trinidadian by birth, told Kaieteur News that he was invited to Guyana last year by the late Winston Murray to look into the development of the Guyana National Youth Parliament.
He said that he had established a healthy itinerary which included a meeting with the local National Youth Caucus.
However, he found out that the local Youth Parliament had not functioned since 2005 and was not even registered.
In addition, it was not functioning in keeping with the constitution of the World Youth Parliament to which it should be affiliated.
Nestor pointed out that the National Youth Parliament around the world is governed by one constitution that governs youth.
“We are now establishing a National Advocate Youth Parliament through the World Youth Parliament, using the worldwide constitution,” Nestor said.
He noted that the National Youth Parliament of Guyana is supposed to be a non-religious, non-political and non-governmental organisation.
However its present head, Kwame McCoy, is a member of a political party and is older than the required age for members –between 18 and 35.
Therefore, Nestor said, the National Youth Parliament does not conform to the World Youth Parliament constitution.
This newspaper understands that since the establishment of the new Advocate Youth Parliament, members of the “Mock Youth Parliament” have been harassing its members.
“They are saying that our group is a threat to the PPP. Kwame (McCoy) has been calling our members and telling them all sorts of things,” Nestor disclosed.
According to the World Youth Parliament representative, the newly registered body is seeking to establish a permanent youth parliament.
“We will continue to advocate the Youth Parliament until the Bill is passed for the setting up of a permanent Youth Parliament in Guyana so that the voice of youth can be heard,” Nestor said.
He stated that the newly formed body will provide a forum for youth to come together, empowering them to participate in leadership and to increase the realisation as a generation of youth that are responsible and accountable.
The motto of the organisations is: “Eminent young people with a voice.”
“Sixty-two percent of the electorate are between the ages of 18 and 35 and we have serious issues. No security, no jobs, no voice no representation and no information,” Nestor told Kaieteur News.
The new Advocate Youth Parliament will be holding a series of events to highlight the movement and what it stands for.
“We are seeking volunteers to be part of the new advocate. We will take on persons who are involved with the mock Youth Parliament once they are willing to work with the constitution of the World Youth Parliament which is headed by Nigerian David Shitsimi,” Nestor said.

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