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…
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Another 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 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…
Read MoreGender based violence increasing in Guyana, T&T and Jamaica – UN
A senior United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) official Wednesday said that there’s a growing problem of gender based violence in Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. According to a CMC report, UNFPA Caribbean Director, Alison Drayton, who is attending the Nairobi Summit on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25), said that there’s need for different strategies to counter this practice in the Caribbean region. Drayton said gender-based violence has harmful and lasting consequences for victims, families, communities and nations, adding “the realisation of this increase is…
Read MoreMore needs to be done with data from polling day – CEO
Chief Elections Officer Keith Lownfield said that the Elections Secretariat will be moving to obtain more analytical data from the results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Lowenfield underscored the need to take elections management to a place where data from polling day is more than just who won and lost. He explained that post-elections, after obtaining the final result figures, the ballot boxes are locked away. But, he noted, this is something that will have to change. “We don’t…
Read MoreRising debt-to-GDP ratio a matter of concern – financial analyst
Guyana’s debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio has been increasing under the current Administration and according to a financial analyst, Guyana’s rising debt should be cause for concern, when oil money may have to be diverted away from the people to paper the cracks. In an interview with this publication, analyst and Chartered Accountant Sase Singh noted that the projected increase of debt to 55.5 per cent of GDP, despite years of warnings from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to settle this figure, does not bode well for the…
Read MoreGuyanese seeks to venture around the world by bicycle
A Guyanese man, who dreams of riding around the world, met with Region Two’s Regional Chairman, Davanand Ramdatt, at Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam). Carlos Anthony Williams, who is popularly known as “Lucky B”, resides at Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara. According to Williams, his bicycle, which he named “Carlos Tall Cycle”, is his message to the world that “you can climb above your problems”. He added that his bicycle is a compilation of two and was designed to look difficult to ride. Further, he said that his…
Read MoreIwokrama encourages students to be guardians of Guyana’s environment
As part of its annual school outreach programme, a team from the Iwokrama International Centre visited students of the Kingston, Tutorial and Dolphin’s High Schools and the Ptolemy Reid Centre last week According to a release from the organisation, as it relates to the high schools, the Iwokrama team interacted with higher-level students who hail from the agriculture, science and arts streams. The aim of the initiative is to enlighten students across the country about Guyana’s rich biodiversity and how they can play a part in protecting it. The outreach…
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