On September 19 at the Pegasus Hotel, a large group of Guyanese protested the illegality of the President and the APNU/AFC regime he leads. The protest action, safeguarded by the Constitution, could not have been surprising, given the fact that the regime made no effort to abide by the final ruling and consequential orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) regarding the December 21, 2018, No-Confidence Motion (NCM). Having refused to respect the constitutional processes the NCM triggered, having sought recourse in the courts for the decision to be…
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NCM a wake-up call for the Coalition
The long overdue elections, which should have been held by March 21, 2019, following the December 21, 2018, No-Confidence Motion (NCM), now appear to be confirmed for March 2, 2020. That’s just about a year after it was constitutionally due and six months after the new September 18, 2019 deadline following APNU/AFC’s recourse to the courts. That said, the caretaker President, David Granger, having been evasive on a definite date, on Tuesday signed the much-awaited proclamation which is needed to legally establish that date. With that settled and the crucial…
Read MoreGuyana’s constitutional crisis
The refusal of erstwhile President David Granger to obey the pellucid command of the Constitution to proclaim an elections date by Sept 18, three months after the NCM had been ruled as validly passed on June 18 by the CCJ, has triggered a constitutional crisis in our country. The US introduced the norm of a written constitution in 1897 and since that time they have faced several constitutional crises, including one brewing in the present. As such, their perspective might be useful to our much younger republic to handle our…
Read MoreBreast cancer: All women are at risk
Just being a woman is the biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer. In a published article some years ago, US-based Oncology Surgeon, Dr Theophilus Lewis pointed out that all women are at risk for breast cancer, since the risks associated with contracting the disease are not controllable. This worrying pronouncement was made during a seminar held in Guyana, which was spearheaded by US-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Organisation for Social and Health Advancement in Guyana (OSHAG). Most notably, it was revealed that age and family history are among the biggest…
Read MoreDeveloping a LCP for Oil and Gas
Ever since Exxon struck oil back in 2015, apart from the revenues that would be negotiated with the international oil companies (IOCs) to exploit the resources of our country, and would flow into the national coffers, it was expected that the local populace would also benefit from participating directly in the ancillary activities consequent to the production of oil and gas. This latter expectation was covered under the rubric of “local content”. It is however very disappointing that, four years after the discovery by ExxonMobil and just months before “first…
Read MoreSurvey finds substance abuse prevalent among Guyana’s youths
The National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA) conducted a National Drug Prevalence Survey among secondary school students in Guyana, which concluded that 40 per cent of teenagers are unaware of the risks associated with drug use. Although the survey was conducted six years ago, NANA said in a statement to the media on Monday that substance abuse is on the increase, especially with the sale of ecstasy in schools across the various administrative regions. “In addition to the use of ecstasy, it was discovered that the use of alcohol among young children…
Read MoreRebuilding after Hurricane Dorian
BY JAINARINE DEONAUTH Hurricane Dorian has left a massive trail of death and destruction in the Bahamas – a country in which several Guyanese have made their home over the years in search of better opportunities. The Category 5 hurricane has left widespread and extensive destruction with many homes, businesses and other buildings completely or partially destroyed. The International Red Cross estimates that 45% of homes on Grand Bahama and the Abacos – some 13,000 properties – were severely damaged or destroyed. According to the BBC report, the Island of…
Read MoreVisionary thinking
Just a few days ago, the National Stadium at Providence once again saw sold-out audiences for home games of the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) as the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2019 is truly on its way. With growing anticipation over the years, fans, including children, were characteristically vibrant in their participation throughout the innumerable and predictable celebrations for any given match. This is what CPL has come to represent as it continues to bring people from all backgrounds together in a national demonstration of unity for a common cause. A…
Read MoreTo become Guyanese
By Ravi Dev One of the most poignant and persistent cries heard around Guyana – especially around elections time – is, “Why do we have to hear about ‘Africans’ and ‘Indians’ or ‘Amerindians’? Why can’t we all just be ‘Guyanese’?” The poignancy is a bit ironic, however, since those same putatively ‘Guyanese’, by and large, have been going into the voting booths and voting along ethnic lines for the past fifty years and more and creating the problem they implicitly bemoan: divisiveness and lack of a national ethos. What is…
Read MoreThe DHB: Catering for national emergencies
Earlier this week, a barge crashed into the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), putting it out of operation for over 36 hours. Thousands of commuters, including school children who normally use the facility, were left with no choice but to use water taxis at the old ferry stellings at Vreed-en-Hoop and Georgetown. Chaos ensued and worsened by the fact that the accident occurred on the first day of the new school term. This is not the first time the bridge has been rammed by an oceangoing vessel, resulting in much inconvenience…
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