The PPP/Civic and the PNC have agreed that in an effort to speed up the resolution of issues agreed for discussions the leaders of each Party's Dialogue Team would meet as often as possible outside of the weekly Statutory Meetings of the Dialogue. These meetings of the respective Leaders are described as Bilateral Meetings. Any agreements reached at those bilateral meetings would be reported to the Dialogue and form part of the record of the Dialogue. Where it was not possible to reach agreement on any issue the matter would be reported to the Statutory Meeting of the Dialogue where an effort would be made to resolve the issue.

The Parties have agreed on procedures for the conduct of the Bilateral Meetings between the Leaders of the Dialogue.

The Parties have submitted separate lists of items which they have identified for discussion. These lists include the following:

PNC's List

• Victimisation and Discrimination

PPP/C's List

• Public Conduct of Parties to the Accord
• Composition of State Boards, Commissions and Committees
• Meeting of President Jagan and Mr. Hoyte
• Land Selection Committees and House Lots Distribution
• Appointment of a Minority Leader
• Parliamentary Reform
• Statutory Meetings of Ministers and Shadow Ministers
• Reinstatement of Public Officers
• Formation of Sub-Committee of Dialogue
• Tender Board reform
• Election Commission
• Public Service Appellate Tribunal
• Race Relations and Equal Opportunities
• Disarmament of PPP's parallel Police Force
• Access to State Media
• The Integrity Commission

From these lists a Consolidated List has been prepared and agreed. This Consolidated List forms the agenda of items for discussion and resolution.

As indicated in an earlier Press Statement, the issue of victimisation and discrimination has been considered by the political dialogue and on 7 October 1998, agreement was reached in the following terms.

Both Parties would look at and review existing and draft legislation which deal with victimisation and discrimination in sectoral areas.

They will seek to improve such existing and draft legislation and add in a mechanism where necessary to deal with issues of victimisation and discrimination.

Any such mechanism should provide for redress in the shortest possible time.

Whenever possible the Parties will seek to group related issues.

As a short-term mechanism the Parties will agree on representatives to deal with all issues of victimisation and discrimination at the bilateral level.

Existence of this short-term mechanism is premised on the requirement that both the PPP/C and the PNC would each make a public pronouncement that the representatives identified to deal with the matters of victimisation and discrimination have the authority to make binding decisions.

At the Bilateral Meetings the issue of the Composition of State Boards, Commissions and Committees has been considered. The Dialogue has approved the agreement which has been reached on this matter as follows: 

Composition of State Boards, Commissions and Committees Guiding Principles

These guiding principles were agreed at the meeting of the Bilateral Mechanism of the Political Dialogue between the PPP/C and the PNC on Tuesday 8^th December, 1998

There are three (3) types of Boards, Commissions and Committees viz., Constitutional or Statutory or Discretionary. Boards, Commissions and Committees fall within the categories (based on their functions) of Regulatory, Service Commissions, Sectoral and Corporations. It is the policy of the PPP/C Government that, whenever possible, Boards, Commissions and Committees should have a tripartite representation i.e. the Government, the Body Politic and Civil Society.

The representation of the PNC on Boards, Commissions and Committees will be based on the following principles:

1. Decisions on representation by the PNC will be arrived at on the basis of consultation between the PNC and PPP/C prior to appointments being made.

2. Where it is agreed that the PNC will be represented on a particular Board or Commission or Committee, the Leader of the PNC or the General- Secretary will be formally invited to submit the nomination(s) of the PNC for that Board or Commission or Committee.

3. The invitation to the PNC to submit its nomination(s) will be normally three (3) months prior to the expiration of the Board or Commission or Committee.

4. If the PNC submits its nomination(s) and the Government has a valid objection to a nominee, such objection will be notified to the Leader of the PNC or the General-Secretary. The PNC and the Government will enter into consultations to seek to resolve the issues giving rise to the Government's objection, early enough to ensure that the PNC nomination(s) will be submitted for appointment to the Board or Commission or Committee.

The above guiding principles are also intended to form the basis for appointment of other members of the Body Politic and Civil Society to Boards, Commissions and Committees

SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT

WHEREAS the PNC has indicated its interest in representation on all State Boards, Commissions and Committees

AND WHEREAS the parties recognise that most State Corporation, Sectoral and Regulatory Boards are due for re-appointment on 1^st January, 1999,

IT IS AGREED that :

1) The consultation between the PNC and the PPP/C to agree on PNC representation on those Boards, Commissions and Committees which are to be re-appointed on 1^st January, 1999, should be completed not later than 31^st December, 1998 and;

2) For those Boards, Commissions and Committees, which are to be re-appointed after 1^st January, 1999, the consultation between the PNC and the PPP/C will continue and be completed within three (3) months prior to the dates scheduled for re-appointment.

The current issues identified for discussion are: The Elections Commission and Statutory Meetings of Ministers and Shadow Ministers.