Dear Editor, The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is appalled at the attitude projected by GECOM with respect to the counting of votes. While the electorate accepts transparency and accuracy are unquestionably necessary, people begin to lose patience when the precautions appear to be excessive. This is particularly the case for a generation raised on cell-phones and the internet. Moreover, both major parties are being forced to take risks to placate their supporters by what comes across as self-absorbed posturing by GECOM. The image of GECOM projected at press conferences…
Read MoreYear: 2015
Let us look to the future, work together in peace
Dear Editor, The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) wishes to offer our congratulations to the Guyanese people for the peaceful and orderly way in which they exercised their franchise on Election Day. We further offer our thanks to all those who worked in the various departments, polling stations and in our security forces to ensure the orderly and soothe process that were achieved. CIOG however appeals to all leaders of the Political parties to communicate the message of peace and calm to their supporters, constituents and in general to…
Read MorePPP/C candidate accuses APNU supporters of assault
A Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) candidate in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) is alleging that she was beaten by a mob of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) supporters on Wednesday in the presence of Police Officers who rendered no assistance. Lloyda Angus of Number 29 Village, West Coast Berbice, who is also the Chairperson of the Trafalgar/Union Development Community Development Centre (CDC) says the incident occurred outside of the Fort Wellington Police Station. According to the 56-year-old woman, the incident occurred just as she was released from the said police station…
Read MoreGECOM explains elections operating procedure
Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr Steve Surujbally has justified the procedure utilised by the elections body as satisfactory as he opined that voting across the country was smooth for the most part. Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield, said that for any multi-voting, it has to be in collaboration of all present at a polling station. Both GECOM staffers noted UNASUR’s earlier praise of the system GECOM had put into place for the election, pointing out that the organisation had said that GECOM had gone above and beyond…
Read MorePPP/C points to evidence of infractions
– says tactics of fear, intimidation and bullyism was used to disrupt the electoral process The Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) made the request for recounts at approximately 90 polling stations in three regions late Tuesday night and a further request for recounts in the remaining seven regions was made on Wednesday after additional discrepancies in the electoral process were brought to light. Party member, Priya Manickchand, at a news conference held at Freedom House on Tuesday made it clear that the issue at hand is not one of merely…
Read More‘These elections were rigged’ – Ramotar
PPP/C’s Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar has refused to concede that the PPP/C has lost the 2015 general elections and while saying that the party has won, has called for a total recount of all the votes. “I cannot concede that I lost this election,” he told reporters at a PPP/C press conference at Freedom House on Thursday afternoon. Asked by the media if he would give up power should the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officially declare the APNU+AFC alliance the winner of the elections later today (Thursday), Ramotar responded that…
Read MoreNY-based Guyanese shoots girlfriend’s secret lover dead, then kills himself
A Guyanese man identified as Phillip Reid, fatally shot his girlfriend’s secret lover before turning the gun on himself after he walked in on the cheating couple Wednesday morning in Brooklyn, New York. The New York Post reports that the jilted 27-year-old boyfriend, went to his girlfriend’s home on Dean Street in Brownsville around 9:45 a.m. and caught her in bed with another man, sources said. “He whipped out a gun and blasted his girlfriend’s 24-year-old paramour in the chest, sources said, and then took his own life by shooting…
Read MoreGender inequalities
The issue of women’s advancement in Guyana has been given much attention on the recent campaign trail, particularly by the major parities – PPP/C and APNU/AFC. Both parties boasted of having a comprehensive plan in terms of advancing women’s rights and ensuring that they take their rightful place in the society which they hope to implement once elected. To its credit, Guyana has made significant progress in advancing women’s empowerment under the PPP/C Government. Even though there is still much work to be done, Guyana must be commended for the…
Read MorePPP/C says many SOPs are fake
– GECOM’s Preliminary figures show APNU+AFC wins by 5,360 votes The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) in a memorandum to the diplomatic community is contending that irregularities plagued the May 11th 2015 Guyana General and Regional Elections including specifically the voting at Polling Stations and the processing of the voting by GECOM electoral staff and others. In support of its contention, the PPP/C disclosed that many Statements of Polls (SOPs) received by GECOM from the ten Electoral Districts were identified as fakes. The Party in a statement noted that at…
Read MoreEsso finds oil offshore Guyana
– Gov’t announces Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud has announced that Esso exploration well, the Liza-1 on the Stabroek Block, using the drill-ship, Deepwater Champion located approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana, has encountered Hydrocarbons. The majority of hydrocarbons found on Earth naturally occur in crude oil. A press release from the Ministry noted however that it is too early to confirm whether there are commercial quantities of hydrocarbons, specifically light crude. “Minister Persaud revealed that a full evaluation of the results is underway from the…
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