After months of consultations and back-and-forth, the National Assembly, last week, approved 10 persons from various organisations to serve as members of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). The new members include Dr John O. Smith from the Christian bodies; Sister Rajkumarie Singh representing the Hindu bodies; and Roshan Khan from the Muslim bodies. The Labour Movement bodies nominated Norris Emanuel Witter as their representative; the Private Sector Organisations’ representative is Major-General (Retd.) Norman McLean, while the Youth Organisations are represented by Deodat Persaud and the Women Organisations by Ruth Howard.…
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3-yr-old in need of assistance to undergo urgent medical attention
A Linden family is seeking the help of the public in securing funds for their three-year-old daughter who has been diagnosed with Retinoblastoma (cancer of the retina of the eye) and is in urgent need of treatment. Crystal John of Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, was diagnosed with the life-threatening disease when she was just eight months old, resulting in the removal of one of her eyes. It has since spread to her other eye and she is currently unable to see. In an effort to save her life and prevent…
Read MoreWhy should the inquiry be limited to 6 years of killings?
Dear Editor, I refer to a story written by an excellent Guyanese journalist on his website on January 28, 2018, captioned “Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into 1000-odd extrajudicial killings to be named….” But when one digs into the story, it appears that the Granger regime is only inquiring into six years? Guyana’s social cohesion bond was not destroyed in six years, it was deliberately interfered with by both sides since 1963 and maybe a year or two before that, if the history books inform me correctly (Read a book by…
Read MoreVenezuela’s credibility, integrity will be tested at ICJ – Jeffrey
Once a decision is made by the United Nations to send the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the credibility of the Nicolás Maduro Government of Venezuela will be tested, former Foreign Affairs Minister Henry Jeffrey has said. Dr Jeffrey’s statement comes on the heels of delays by the UN in announcing its decision on whether to send the matter before the ICJ. The former Minister is of the opinion that the present Venezuelan Government is too weak to carry that argument to its people to…
Read MoreFormer army rank jumps to freedom
…after being found not-guilty of murdering boyfriend’s mother One day short of three years since Agricola, Greater Georgetown housewife Donna Taylor was murdered at her home, the accused, former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Private Abiola Jacobs was unanimously found not-guilty by a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown on Monday. This result came after just over two hours of deliberations, but it is expected that the prosecution will appeal the decision following reports that one of the jurors allegedly grew up in the same area as Jacobs. However,…
Read MorePrivate Sector pushes for health centres to remain open in sugar belt
While remaining firm on its position to oppose the closure of the sugar industry, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) says it will now push to have health centres serving the sugar belt remained open. PSC President Eddie Boyer urged the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) not to close the health centres that serve sugar workers and their families in various communities. This call was made at the opening of a Business, Financial and Investment Forum and Clinic held at the Enmore Community Centre on Monday for ex-sugar workers. The PSC Head…
Read MoreJagdeo named Patron in Chief at World Sustainable Development Forum
Guyana’s Opposition Leader, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, is currently attending the first ‘World Sustainable Development Forum’ being held in Mexico City under the theme ‘Implementing the Paris Agreement and the SDGs’. The three-day forum, which kicked off on Thursday, features several keynote addresses, high level panel discussions and parallel sessions focused on specific themes and issues. Jagdeo is among several panelists, including: Jean Charest, Former Premier of Quebec, and former Minister of Environment, Canada; Lord Deben, John Gummer, Chairman of the UK’s independent Committee on Climate Change, UK; Felix Finkbeiner, Chair…
Read MoreLusignan massacre victims remembered at event to mark 10th anniversary
The 11 victims of the Lusignan massacre which occurred 10 years ago were on Friday remembered at an inter-faith service coordinated by the Indian Action Committee (IAC). The Tenth Anniversary Memorial Service saw attendance of members of the Lusignan community, Government officials, Opposition members and families of the victims. Commemorated with hymns, bajans and recitals from the Quran, the gathering was sombre. In the feature address, Former Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission, Bishop Juan Edghill, spoke on the strength of the Lusignan community, considering the irreconcilable damage that has…
Read More‘They want people to give up hope and migrate’
Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday urged scores of sugar workers and their families not to lose hope, but to continue to struggle alongside the People’s Progressive Party to secure the freedoms and gains which they have worked and toiled for over the past two and a half decades. Jagdeo, addressing a crowd at Enterprise Community Centre on the East Coast of Demerara, disclosed that the Government had begun unveiling parts of a systematic plan to undermine the support base of the Opposition with the aim of changing the…
Read More“Shine Buck” jailed for life for raping minor
…“I see no basis for showing you mercy” – Judge tells accused Following a series of attacks on a young victim, Rohan Daniels, a logger, also known as “Shine Buck” was on Wednesday evening found guilty on two counts of sexual activity with a child family member by a 12-member jury at the High Court. The panel deliberated for about three hours and they were tasked with handing a verdict on four separate counts of child sex activity. An 11-1 proportion found him guilty on the first count and a…
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