Month: March 2014

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) believes that the ailing sugar industry could be rescued, but it must be given sound professional leadership, which is badly lacking. The union also said that the recommendation put forward by the opposition to stop the bleeding of the industry may not have been well thought-out as it does not look at how a shutdown will impact the lives and livelihoods of more than 16,000 people. In a statement on the renewed calls by A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) for the…

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The Alliance For Change (AFC), led by Khemraj Ramjattan, has betrayed sugar workers, Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said as he lashed out at both the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) over talks to shut down the ailing sugar industry. In a press statement late Wednesday night, Dr Ramsammy said AFC’s move to endorse APNU’s position on the closure of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), is a clear indication of AFC’s betrayal. “The AFC and APNU see a future for Guyana without sugar and if they are…

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Keith Lowenfield, a former Guyana Defence Force Officer, was unanimously appointed Chief Election Officer on Wednesday, replacing Gocool Boodhoo who was let go by the Elections Commission when his contract expired nearly two years ago. The substantive Deputy Chief Election Officer, Calvin Benn, who had also applied for the post, earlier this week withdrew his application, virtually clearing the way for Lowenfield. In a statement, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said Benn was not interviewed because he tendered a letter dated March 10, 2014, regretfully informing the entity that he…

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Women cannot be absent from making decisions to help define the development agenda after the year 2015, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena said. She expressed the view at the commemoration of International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8. In a process led by the United Nations, the international community aims to establish a new agenda for sustainable development to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which countries agreed upon in 2000 and committed to achieving by 2015. Bárcena explained that it is…

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– says “I was in Belgrade when Rodney was killed” By Alexis Rodney Former Commander of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and now Opposition Leader, David Granger said he was not fearful of the outcome of the Commission of Inquiry into the killing of Dr Walter Rodney, stating that he was on travel duties overseas when the incident occurred. Granger, the leader of the People’s National Congress (now Reform) under whose administration Rodney was killed, is seen as a key witness in the incident. It was widely alleged that then…

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The ABC countries, along with a number of civil society organizations in Guyana, have reiterated their call for the holding of local government elections this year. The opposition recently approved a bill for local government elections to be held by August 1, 2014, but People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee said while his party was ready for Local Government Elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was not. PPP-appointed commissioners of GECOM have advised the party that the commission has yet to establish boundaries and provide voter education about…

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Presidential Adviser on Governance Gail Teixeira said the Government of Guyana is awaiting the return of U.S. Ambassador D Brent Hardt to fix a date to commence talks on the stalled US$1.2 million Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) governance project. Ambassador Hardt is currently out of Guyana on official duties. On February 13, Teixeira had said the Donald Ramotar Administration had agreed to meet with the U.S. during the week of February 17-21, but 18 days after that press conference at the Office of the President, the parties are yet to…

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The political unrest in Venezuela has created quite a stir, but there is no plan by the government to bring Guyanese in the Spanish-speaking neighbouring country home, as they have made no such request. Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett in a recent interview told Guyana Times International that the government is monitoring the situation through its embassy in Caracas. Some 30,000 Guyanese are living in Venezuela, and their relatives in Guyana are concerned about their safety following weeks of opposition-led disturbance. A few days ago, sister Caribbean Community (Caricom) nation Trinidad…

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