Guyana should treat domestic violence as a national priority

Dear Editor, Within a three-day period, two women from East Coast Demerara were killed at the hands of the father of their children. Both women – Shamaine Frank and Vinetta Headley-James – had suffered years of domestic violence as they battled through their relationship for the sake of their children. In the case of Frank, her six-year-old daughter witnessed her being stabbed to death. The child, according to news reports, has confided in relatives that she was awakened by her father during the ordeal and threatened not to utter a…

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Political instability is any investor’s greatest nightmare

Dear Editor, It is with great pleasure that I come to you from Florida. I’m a Guyanese by birth and a proud Lindener. I’ve been living in the U.S. for just over 25 years. Like any other bold and shrewd businessman, I’ve managed to make a name for myself. Today, my business of steel and welding fabrications is operating in six states throughout the US. My other venture, which is that of construction, is also rapidly proliferating in my home state. A few weeks ago, at a social event, I…

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Guyanese should demand that Granger call elections now!

Dear Editor, The House-to-House Registration was unreasonably and deliberately unleashed by the caretaker Granger Government to delay and to ultimately deny the benefits of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) which was passed more than eight months ago. It is simply a fraud by GECOM to initiate House-to-House Registration after six months of the passage of the NCM to benefit Government. Guyanese need to be convinced that GECOM is functioning independently from Government. Without a doubt, such a useless and dubious registration process will push the Regional and National Elections way past…

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Merging of the two lists should be rejected

Dear Editor, The long-awaited decision presented on August 27 by GECOM Chairman, Justice Claudette Singh, is fraught with a myriad of problems. Christopher Ram, in his letter, “Justice Singh is probably unaware of complexity and difficulties of merging two lists”, lists some legitimate reasons about the merging of the lists. The credibility of the latest dubious registration process is particularly worrisome since this exercise was conducted under questionable circumstances. One blogger, Tarron Khemraj, pointed out, “the merging of the list could see the backdoor removal of thousands of names, disproportionately.”…

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Efficient, functioning system for travelers at CJIA is very critical

Dear Editor, It is nice to see the upgrades that have been done to the CJIA airport. The new facilities will provide a comfortable, modernised experience for travellers. To complement these improvements, I would like to make a few suggestions to improve the ease of transit experience for passengers. 1. Simplify the process for filling out departure and arrival records – An online system to check-in and complete the forms necessary for departure and arrival records should be implemented to ease the burden on families travelling with small children. The…

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GECOM should stop this charade and move into elections mode

Dear Editor, The rule of law is the foundation upon which modern civilisation rests. In its absence, anarchy prevails! Dictators are born when those in authority remain silent as our Constitution and the rule of law are trampled upon in hope that someone else will have the courage to speak up. And very often, the rhetoric lacks teeth: The threat of sanctions and the political will to implement them. While no one wants to see Guyana return to the dark days of election rigging, election violence and the wanton destruction…

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How long is President Granger prepared to hold out on calling elections?

Dear Editor Now that the Chief Justice has given her ruling on August 14th, 2019, democratic and progressive-minded Guyanese have been vindicated on several counts once again by a judicial authority:- – Elections were due three months after the passage of the no confidence motion on December 21, 2018 in accordance with article 106 which was immediately engaged; the date was not extended by a 2/3 majority of members of the National Assembly; – Whilst the House to House registration by and of itself is not unlawful or unconstitutional, the…

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Govt seems to be dodging from elections

Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), by law, is supposed to be in readiness to hold elections at any time and the House-to-House activities run contrary to the mandate of the constitutional agency and the rulings of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which recently addressed pertinent judicial hearings to which the organisation is bound. Keith Lowenfield, as the CEO of the GECOM Secretariat, does not have the functional responsibility to hire staff for GECOM. Neither is the Secretariat authorised to do House-to-House Registration on its own. It is…

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GECOM should stop…

So why is GECOM continuing to spend billions of dollars on a useless HtH campaign now that the Chief Justice has ruled that eligible voters cannot be deregistered? Why is it taking so long for the new GECOM Chairman to act? The only clear pathway in keeping with its constitutional obligations is for GECOM to now swiftly move to Claims and Objections and stop or postpone this charade. The Leader of the Opposition has been very tolerant and reasonable since the passage of the No-Confidence Motion, emphasising the need for…

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Guyana can still have elections within 90 days; counting from June 18, 2019

Dear Editor, Over the past 24 hours, I have seen a lot of comments on social media after the decision was handed down by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the NCM and the unilateral appointment of the GECOM Chairman. Whilst the decision of the CCJ did not specify a date for elections, President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders, urged all political parties to honour the Constitution of Guyana. If we are to look carefully on this statement “honouring the Constitution” one can safely anticipate election on or…

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