Year: 2019

Calls mount for probe into controversial housing contract

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…Integrity Commission Chairman points to “clear conflict of interest” Junior Minister of Communities with responsibility for the housing sector, Valerie Patterson-Yearwood is coming in for harsh criticisms over revelations that her husband, Godfrey Yearwood was given three contracts in 2017 to construct houses for the CH&PA. Minister Patterson-Yearwood has since insisted that she was unaware her husband was bidding for the projects and that she had no input in the process. But the Integrity Commission Chairman says the public cannot take her word for it. “The only way you can…

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Cops question Opposition Leader over “chase them out” statement

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Police ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters on Wednesday turned up at the Office of the Opposition Leader, after Bharrat Jagdeo returned from his overseas trip. While he was not arrested, he was questioned about statements allegedly delivered at Babu Jaan and directed to President Granger and PM Nagamootoo. This would presumably mean that the two high officials had to have filed a complaint against Jagdeo, thus giving credibility to claims that Police action against the opposition leader was politically directed.During an annual memorial service March 10, 2019…

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PPP’s Teixeira, Anamaya resign as MPs

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…but Jagdeo says Teixeira’s career as MP is not over In keeping with the Constitution, Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira and fellow People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament (MP) Adrian Anamayah have resigned as members of the National Assembly. This was announced by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who also noted that MP Odinga Lumumba is expected to follow suit shortly. The parliamentarians resigned in keeping with the Constitution which dictates that persons with dual citizenship are ineligible to serve as MPs. Jagdeo expressed regret that Teixeira would have to…

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Power to the people!

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The issue of the legitimacy of rulership has been an ancient preoccupation of mankind ever since we crept out of caves and formed settlements wherein we were forced to devise rules for choosing leaders. Initially, it was probably a matter of self-selection, with the man who could wield the largest club enforcing his selection of himself as the most suitable candidate. From that, it was not long before those rulers were legitimised by the newly developed religions, which sanctified the notion of the “divine right of kings” to rule. In…

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Businessman gunned down during robbery attack in Georgetown

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Gunmen on Tuesday morning carried out a daring daylight robbery in front of the Ashmins building on High Street, Georgetown, which left a 57-year-old money changer dead. Dead is Prince Philip Alleyne of Lot 88 Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara, who succumbed to his injuries at about 11:00h at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Reports are Alleyne, who operates as a money changer on America Street, Georgetown, was parking his car, PMM 9512, at the Ashmins building on High Street, Georgetown, when the gunmen struck. The two gunmen…

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Providing decent jobs for young people

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Unemployment and poverty are two of the main challenges that countries, including Guyana, are faced with at present. Unemployment leads to financial crisis and reduces the overall purchasing capacity of a nation. This in turn results in persons getting in the bracket of poverty followed by increasing burden of debt. It is true that unemployment and poverty are mostly common in the less developed and developing economies. For example, just a few days ago it was reported in the media in Guyana that there is a whopping 40 per cent…

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The plight of workers in Guyana

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Dear Editor, Immediately after the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) and the country being under the impression that elections would be held soon, social media started buzzing about the increase of minimum wages by supporters of the ruling coalition. I commented on one politician’s post that the statement is not entirely correct and amongst his reply, he pointed out that I am bitter. As I indicated before, if I am, I have all right to be. I am not one of those hypocrites that would see something wrong and not point it…

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Cops call on Nations Director to provide info on shooter

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Crime Chief Lyndon Alves on Wednesday called on the Principal of School of the Nations, Dr Brian O’Toole, to provide the police with the identity of the shooter. The call by the Crime Chief comes mere days after O’Toole said that his shooter was flown out of Guyana. On Wednesday, the Crime Chief told Guyana Times International “If O’Toole is so sure of the claims he is making let him come to the police with the identity of this individual. We are not aware of anything like this”. Questioned further,…

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Overseas-based Guyanese pensioner takes GECOM to court over house-to-house registration

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After warning the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to desist from house-to-house registration or face the law, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall has filed legal proceedings against the Commission. In the legal documents seen by this publication and filed by Nandlall on behalf of his client, Bibi Zeenatoun, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and GECOM are named as respondents. In the fixed date application, the former AG sets out that the house-to-house registration is unconstitutional. It is noted that they are seeking a declaration of this and the fact that the…

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There is need for transparency at GECOM

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Dear Editor, Recent public statements from President David Granger as well as representatives of the PNCR, connotes the intention of removing the names of registered citizens from the register of voters in instances where they are not proven dead at the time of the proposed house-to-house registration. It is pellucid and outright unconstitutional that such moves will realise the real disenfranchisement of voters. Is there any merit that because one works or studies abroad that this wicked clan disavow their rights? The belated and unconvincing reactions by GECOM to clarify…

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