Dear Editor, As I sit here, I am saddened by the news of another needles life lost because of domestic violence. Almost every news site I visit features the story of the most recent victim. Countless persons continue to express their utter disgust or anger that this problem continues to plague our society. The most recent incident, which occurred at Limlair Village, Corentyne Coast, East Berbice, was the last straw for me. I now feel compelled not just to speak of the issue, but also offer and highlight simple and…
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Guyanese in the Diaspora must also join the fight
Dear Editor, I refer to a letter written by Mr Vincent Alexander captioned `No basis for Jagdeo to conclude GECOM Chairman has been biased”, which was published on June 14, 2018. This piece clearly illustrates how well adjusted Mr Alexander has become to defending the systemic injustices being imposed by the ruling “lumpen bourgeoisie” against the people. This piece from Mr Alexander exposes the process by which four (4) of the seven (7) GECOM Commissioners are prepared to put the “boots on the neck” of the majority of our people…
Read MoreConcerns of residents have fallen on deaf ears
Dear Editor, Political parties do campaign vigorously, and go about trying to convince people that their vision for governing the country is best, should they win. Now this coalition Government’s track record seems to be riddled with more mistakes/incompetence/allegations of corruption compared to pleasing the public. Everywhere I go, I hear complaints more than praises, so I wonder how they will bounce from that. I don’t believe oil alone can save our country. Look at neighbouring Venezuela. Each party would have supporters from all over the country, and many would…
Read MoreGuyana’s health sector suffering from gross incompetence, mismanagement
Dear Editor, The Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings, and the Director of Clinical Health, Dr Shako, recently visited Region Six to do an analysis of the health sector. I assume they visited most of the hospitals and health centres in the region, because they reported that the sector has seen a lot of positives since the APNU+AFC Coalition Government took office in 2015. The minister and public officials of the Granger Administration continue to disregard the truth: that the health sector is really in a…
Read MoreDecision to sideline Vishnu Persaud is irrational and lacking in fairness
Dear Editor, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson has made my point emphatically about the perverse ethnic and political domination, lack of diversity, and racial exclusion in the make-up and hiring practices of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), in his considered but irrational decision to reject the top ranked candidate, Vishnu Persaud, for the post of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) of GECOM. Persaud emerged as the highest-ranked candidate out of an interviewing and review process which imposed surprising double jeopardies on him. The facts are as follows: (1): Persaud served in…
Read MorePresident should launch inquiry into GECOM hiring process
Dear Editor, Having noted the most recent development of what appears to be a controversy over the ethnic composition of the staff and employment practices of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), I believe there should be an immediate public declaration of its list of employees and related information. I am of the opinion that given the sensitivity of this issue, the national importance of GECOM and the need for it to be fair and unbiased in all aspects of its operations, including employment practices, the onus is for it to…
Read MoreHow can we have any confidence in GECO
GHK Lall in a recent letter in the media conveys that 46 per cent of Afro-Guyanese versus 21 per cent of Indo-Guyanese does not represent an ethnic imbalance within the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This is a gross misinterpretation. Of course, lopsided figures such as these show how Afro-Guyanese are wildly overrepresented. And importantly, they fail to reflect Guyana’s demographic breakdown. Such misinterpretation needs to be corrected because it hides a serious problem which will persist if it goes unaddressed. Also, in a show of respect for the Guyanese people,…
Read MoreSetting the facts straight on suicide and mental illness
Dear Editor, Recently, on social media, former Government minister Clement Rohee posited some misinformed views on suicide. Those views need to be addressed. Mr Rohee stated, “It is difficult to detect in advance someone who is prone to suicide. Somehow, prior to committing the act, they manage to elude by means known only to them, their closest relatives and friends who are incapable of spotting any unusual behavior on their part before they take their own life.” Suicide ideation/suicidal mindset is really not difficult for anyone to be ‘incapable of…
Read MoreOil money could cause corruption to skyrocket in Guyana
Dear Editor, I wonder if Guyana would wake up and smell the coffee now that two prominent international experts on political risks have joined me and other patriots in warning that Guyana’s oil bonanza could cause corruption in high places to skyrocket and uproot democracy, independence, and all the principles and values we hold dear. This week, news broke that Thiago de Aragao, Director of the Latin American Political Risk Analysis, is urging the Government of Guyana to strengthen systems governing the electoral process, taxation and regulation, because if they…
Read MoreRodney’s ideas and knowledge are not lost
Dear Editor, June 13 marks the death anniversary of Guyana’s dear son, Walter Rodney. It is with great sadness that we are not more aware of his great work on the global stage, and more so for bringing a solution for racial unity in Guyana at a time when no one else was able to do so then and now. Rodney understood and empathized with the poor and disenfranchised of the world, and defined with great detail and intellect how the world system works to keep people in poverty. His…
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