The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has come out in criticism of recent statements made by President David Granger, in which he said that State ads should be given to media houses based on fairness and balance. In a statement last Saturday, the GPA expressed disappointment in the President’s statements. The President’s statement was made during an interview on a local radio programme. However, this did not go down well with members of the media fraternity in Guyana. “The gist of the President’s remarks appears to be that the allocation of…
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Vashti Mahase tells her story of surviving two abusive relationships
By Lakhram Bhagirat Domestic violence has been an epidemic in Guyana for a number of years, but very few strides have been made in combating the scourge. Every day, there are reports of women suffering at the hands of men who promised to love and care for them. In her young life, Vashti Mahase has had two relationships and both of those relationships could be considered as outside of the norm. Vashti’s story came to the fore earlier this year when it was reported that she was severely chopped by…
Read More‘Thousands of false objections’ made in Region 5 – PPP
As the objections component of Claims and Objections has ended, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is raising concerns over the thousands of objections made in two particular areas and fears that they are part of a ploy to disenfranchise thousands. It was revealed on Tuesday by Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner Sase Gunraj that approximately 13,000 objections have been made. According to Gunraj, these objections were made primarily at the Fort Wellington GECOM offices in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). In an interview with this publication, PPP’s Chief Elections Scrutineer Zulficar Mustapha…
Read MoreCamille cox shares her story: from victimhood to empowerment
By Lakhram Bhagirat The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 1 in every 3 women will experience some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. This number is staggering and calls for a comprehensive plan of action in addressing the global epidemic. However, as conversations surrounding domestic violence roar on, one woman, Camille Cox is using her status as a former victim to reach out and empower other women who are in situations where they are subjected to violence at the hands of their partners. WHO reports that violence…
Read MoreAnother young miner killed in Guyana after pit caves in
Another young miner has died after the walls of the pit in which he was working collapsed and covered him alive. Dead is 21-year-old Deon Henry of Triangle Backdam, Baramita, Region One (Barima-Waini). According to reports, Henry was in the pit with several other persons, but his colleagues were unable to save him as the eastern wall of the pit caved in on him. The men managed to pull Henry from under the slush but were not able to resuscitate him. The police were called and his body was taken…
Read More‘No one will be disenfranchised’ – GECOM boss
Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) retired Justice Claudette Singh has defended the decision to remove thousands of persons from the voters’ list who failed to pick up their National Identification (ID) Cards, saying that this verification process is provided for in the laws. Speaking at a press conference last Friday, her first since taking up the post at the helm of GECOM, Justice Singh pointed out that in addition to ruling that GECOM cannot remove names from the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRD), acting Chief Justice Roxane…
Read MoreIMF says Guyana’s debt to foreign reserves ratio higher than most countries in hemisphere
A recent report conducted and released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that compared with most countries in the Region, Guyana’s external debt to foreign reserves ratio is among the highest. The IMF report in question is the Regional Economic Outlook of 2019 for the Western Hemisphere. While the report notes that Guyana’s economy will grow when first oil arrives, the country currently does not compare well with others in terms of external debt and its reserves. Guyana, according to the report, is expected to record a Public Sector…
Read MoreOur courts need to regain the confidence of the public
Dear Editor, Paragraph 5 of the judgment of the Caribbean Court of Justice delivered on July 12, 2019, on consequential orders flowing from the passage of the No-Confidence Motion passed by the National Assembly on December 21, 2018, stated: “The Judiciary interprets the Constitution. But as we intimated in our earlier judgment, these particular provisions [Article 106 (6) and 106 (7)] require no gloss on the part of the Court in order to render them intelligible and workable. Their meaning is clear and it is the responsibility of the constitutional…
Read MoreProtecting…
…small businesses Even without oil in sight, Chinese were starting to enter the supermarket business in Guyana. Early on, your Eyewitness had raised red flags about the phenomenon: he’d been in Suriname and seen that within a decade of their entry into that trade there, they’d displaced locals, and were running 90% of supermarkets by 2015!! There hasn’t been a survey done in Guyana on the control of supermarkets by Chinese immigrants, but from his (wide) travels across his homeland – including the interior, he’s willing to hazard a guess…
Read MoreGECOM awaiting approval of foreign observers
As preparations continue for the hosting of next year’s March 2 General and Regional Elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is awaiting the accreditation of foreign observers before going ahead with approving local observers. This is according to GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh, who, at her first press conference last Friday, dismissed claims that the Commission does not want observers around leading up to next year’s polls and has been blocking foreign bodies from scrutinising its work. “That is not true. GECOM welcomes all elections observers,” she insisted. The…
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