Dear Editor, I had tuned into the live broadcast of APNU/AFC’s press event. I hesitate to use the word ‘conference’, as it seemed to have been held in a mini-rally format. That this party event was being broadcast by the Department of Public Information was no surprise; what was astonishing, however, was the absence of representation from the WPA, JFAP and NFA parties, who are supposedly still members of APNU. Given that the reason for this event was to demonstrate the solidity of the Coalition, it raised more questions than…
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Several issues warrant investigations at GECOM
Dear Editor, Well folks, at last we managed to have a meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) after last Tuesday’s statutory meeting was cancelled due to a lack of quorum. Commissioners Alexander and Corbin were both unavailable, so the Chairman invoked Article 226 (5) of the Constitution, which provides for the meeting to be held on the Thursday following the adjourned Tuesday meeting, and for decisions to be made with or without a quorum. This week, however, there was a quorum, with only Commissioner Alexander being absent, so the…
Read MoreWhim: A massive rejection of Nagamootoo in his own home village
Dear Editor, Webster’s Dictionary has chosen TOXIC as the 2018 Word of the Year. Local Government Elections (LGE) 2018 dramatically pronounced the AFC and its leaders TOXIC everywhere in Guyana. Not only did the AFC do badly in the overall LGE 2018, they were toxic even in the towns and villages where their leaders were born and grew up. Nowhere were the results more alarming for the AFC than in Region 6, which had become a sort of bastion for the AFC and is the region, where most of the…
Read MoreIt’s not about elections; it’s about governing
Dear Editor I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on its success during the Local Government Elections (LGE). Let us take this time to recognise that it is not just about winning elections (be it Local Government Elections or General Elections). It is about how you Govern that matters. The PPP/C lost the 2015 General Elections because the majority of people believed that its governance style left a lot to be desired. In this day and age, people expect accountability, transparency and good…
Read MoreUnlawful takeover of bridge dead wrong
Dear Editor, The unlawful control of the Berbice Bridge by the Granger Government is dead wrong. It is shortsighted to think that it is not. Such an authoritarian takeover violates the Constitution of Guyana and it stands to discourage investors. This can never be the right approach to reject a proposed fare hike. Government should never abuse its power in such a manner to arrive at decisions when it has options to negotiate. Negotiating with investors of the Bridge would have been the right approach to take. This saga highlights…
Read MoreDemocratic systems must also safeguard the rights of minorities
Dear Editor, Democracy, it is often said, is the governing of society by a majority mandate. However, this is only partly true, it is much more than that. The democratic system must also safeguard the rights of the minorities as it does the rights of the majority. Minority here is used broadly to include those in the minority as to opinion. To do so, society has developed various institutions to ensure that the law is applied equitable and that fundamental human rights are protected, upheld, and promoted. All democratic societies…
Read MoreThe masquerade has to stop!
Dear Editor, The recent (2018/11/13) ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) pertaining to the issue of cross dressing in Guyana is indicative of the trajectory of homosexuality in this nation. The masquerade has to stop! The inconspicuously obvious is hiding in plain sight! SASOD and many sister organisations are riding the wave of human rights as they forward their advocacy against discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation. The not so obvious glaring fact, is that they are not dealing with sexual orientation in its widest sense- these folks…
Read MoreGuyana is on its own if things go wrong in oil operations
Dear Editor, Though this may be an obvious point to the analyst community, it is important that the wider Guyanese community understand that multinational companies such as Exxon, registers their investment vehicles in a low-corporation tax jurisdiction, and not in the country where their headquarters are situated for a specific reason; to cap their financial exposure per project. The investment in Guyana is owned by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (Esso) which was incorporated in the Bahamas. Similarly, the Chinese partner in this Guyana investment, CNOOC which is headquartered…
Read MoreThe Berbice Bridge fiasco is nothing but an elections gimmick
Dear Editor, It has happened just the way we predicted weeks ago, that is the Alliance For Change (AFC) David Patterson riding into Berbice as the knight in shining armour. He has, as it were, came to the rescue of the hapless citizens of Berbice; or is it? I think differently, I see this as another election gimmickry to again somehow squeeze votes out of Berbicians. This tactic was tried in the lead up to the 2015 General Elections when Nagamootoo and Ramjattan fooled Berbicians into voting for them with…
Read MoreBring in the United Nations Now!
Dear Editor, We have witnessed the recent chaos on Nomination Day, with it, the many justified ensuing Court battles, which the circumstances signal are likely to continue at the highest judicial decision making authority. The continued disappearances of the Chief Executive Officer at key events and activities during the preparation for the Disciplined Services balloting, clearly points to the realities of the trial and error approach, and much heightened incompetence. On Monday October 29th, 2018, the Secretariat’s CEO, Mr. Lowenfield, held a briefing with the Political Parties in preparation for…
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