Citizens can report racial statements, hate speech to ERC

Citizens can report cases of hate speech at public forums and comments posted on social media to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) in order to help in the fight racial discrimination.

Reports can be made via telephone, Facebook or visit the Commission’s Queenstown Georgetown office.

“Once we have that complain, it goes to the investigative unit and the unit comprising of a number of legal officers, senior investigative officers and commissioners, they look at that and then taken on to the wider commission, explained Commissioner of the ERC, Rajkumarie Singh.

She was speaking with the media at the sidelines of the signing of a Code of Conduct for political parties at the Georgetown Club on Thursday.

The ERC is looking to eliminate racial discrimination in this historically tense period.

Eleven parties are contesting the March 2020 elections of which eight are first time contestants.

Chairman Rev. John Smith said that while the ERC has been monitoring broadcasts and social media platforms, persons from the Commission have also been attending public meetings held by the parties to flag comments inciting racism.

The ERC is collaborating with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and other entities to ensure free and fair elections.