November 2018 – Page 6 – Guyana Times International

PPP to push for more accountability at City Hall

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

At the recently concluded Local Government Elections (LGE) of 2018, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secured seven seats in the capital city of Georgetown, which is an increase of five seats when compared with the last LGE in 2016. With the addition of its new voices at City Hall, PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo at a recent press conference outlined that the Party will be employing measures to ensure that the Georgetown City Council is fully accountable to its constituents. With a 2018 LGE voter turnout of just 28.3 per…

Teenage girl nabbed with unlicensed pistol

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

An 18-year-old girl is now in police custody after an unlicensed pistol was allegedly found in her possession on Wednesday afternoon. The teen was intercepted at Victoria Road, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) at about 12:15 during a routine “stop and search” exercise. This newspaper understands that the teenager who resides at South Better Hope, ECD was searched during which the .45 pistol, which had no magazine, was unearthed. She was arrested and is being processed for court.

A conversatin with aspiring model Mohindra Kumar Scarce

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Being told no is just one of the many obstacles one encounters in pursuit of one’s dreams and aspirations and for 22-year-old Mohindra Kumar Scarce, being told no has never deterred him from pursuing his passion of becoming a professional model. “Mohanram” or “Moh” as he is known stands at 6’2” and hails from the village of Tuschen on the East Bank of Essequibo. Although he is yet to get a professional modelling gig, “Moh” has been making heads turn and strides in the industry he so wants to be…

22-member oversight committee proposed

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

By Jarryl Bryan Government has released the draft Natural Resources Fund Bill of 2018, which proposes among other things a 22-member Public Accountability and Oversight Committee that will oversee the management of the Fund and provide checks and balances. According to the Bill, the Committee will include a media representative proposed by the Guyana Press Association (GPA). Other entities that will have to propose representatives include the Guyana Bar Association; the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GY-EITI); Transparency Institute of Guyana Incorporated (TIGI), the Guyana Consumers’ Association and the various…

The No-confidence Motion

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

“No-confidence” motions are a staple of parliamentary democracies and it arises from the demand that the Executive retain a majority support in the House of Representatives/Assembly or Commons. Since the legitimacy of a democratic government depends on its popular support, the loss of this support – as articulated by the peoples’ representatives – removes that legitimacy. In Britain, there have been 23 motions of no confidence passed since 1945 and 27 in India since their independence of 1947. Guyana was educated to the nuances of this motion in 2014 when…

Civil Aviation Bill passed in Guyana despite protest by Opposition MPs

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

The Opposition’s efforts to have the Civil Aviation Bill 2017 resent to a select committee were defeated by the Government during Monday’s sitting of the National Assembly, as it was passed with amendments. In her address to the chambers, Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira said that based on her research, the bill is deficient. According to Teixeira, the bill is not on par with what may be expected by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Some of the issues she had with the Bill were its penalties – penalties she…

A daughter’s grief for her father

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

By Lakhram Bhagirat The last time the family of businessman Derek Mangal saw him alive was on the morning of May 29, 2017 when he left their home to take his beloved “towa towa” bird for their routine morning stroll in the city. But he did not know when he was leaving his home that it would be the last time that he would ever see his family. The 45-year-old Regent Multiplex Mall businessman, along with his beloved bird, lost their lives at the corner of Camp and Middle Streets,…

Essequibians urged to take advantage of new oil sector

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Essequibians have been encouraged to take full advantage of the Essequibo Technical Institute with the aim of arming themselves with technical skills to fill the demands that will be available in Guyana with the introduction of the oil and gas sector. This was the encouragement offered as 144 students participated in the 16th graduation exercise of the ETI, which was held late last week at the institution. Acting Principal Rawl Pearce has said that with the introduction of the oil and gas sector, ETI is now offering engineering and mining…

Rattling…

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…the APNU/AFC coalition The way they jumped for cover, Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo might as well have lobbed a grenade amongst the members of the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition when he lodged a motion of “no confidence” against them. Or did he let loose a cat amongst the government’s plump pigeons? Jagdeo’s press Conference to announce his intention had barely finished when “the leaders of the coalition” – as described by the state’s Chronic – huddled in one of their private houses. But while the Chronic took pains to give all…

Struggling…

November 23, 2018November 23, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…for political survival Now that the LGE has confirmed the AFC’s “dead meat” state, Moses Nagamootoo’s desperately struggling to show some personal worth to the PNC — to enjoy his super salary and, as important, those sirens and outriders to convince him he’s “important”!! This was pathetically on display after the results showed the PPP had comprehensively defeated both the PNC/APNU and the AFC by 45,000 votes. After his prediction of trouncing the PPP in his home village of Whim was turned on his head, and the AFC was routed…