Year: 2019

Constitutional crisis looms

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…as Guyana Govt, electoral body frustrate timeline for March polls …Int’l community urged to take action The Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has said it will push for international action against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) following the vote to inform President David Granger that elections cannot be held in 90 days as constitutionally mandated. The PPP said the time is opportune for international action – as was needed in 1990 to ensure constitutional compliance. The Party is referring to the intervention of former United States (US) President Jimmy Carter…

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‘Blatant abuse of taxpayers’ money’

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…APNU/AFC Ministers campaign on State resources in Region 9 The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition is campaigning heavily on State resources; and some observers have noted that that this a blatant abuse of taxpayers’ money and a possible violation of the law. What was labelled as ‘Government business’ turned out to be a massive elections campaign, when a large ministerial convoy ventured to Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) at the weekend. Nineteen Ministers spent three days visiting various communities, making grand promises in exchange for votes.…

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ExxonMobil moving ahead with refocused plans

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…after Venezuelan navy interruption United States (US) oil giant ExxonMobil has refocused its efforts ever since Venezuela’s navy “intercepted” a ship exploring for oil on behalf of the company and said it plans to stick with those plans until the issues are resolved by the countries involved. Speaking at the sidelines of an oil and gas forum on Wednesday hosted by American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham), Upstream Geoscience Manager of Esso Exploration Guyana Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, Dough McGhee said that it is a Government problem right now and…

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Canada-based Guyanese man accused of murdering daughter dies

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The father of an 11-year-old girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert last week has died. Roopesh Rajkumar had been in hospital since suffering a self-inflicted gunshot w ound the night his daughter, Riya, was found dead in his Brampton home after she went missing on Valentine’s Day. An Amber Alert was issued after Riya’s mother had gone to police after Rajkumar allegedly failed to return the girl on time after taking her out for her birthday. She told police that she had received concerning comments from Roopesh…

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Bulkan should take responsibility for ‘chaos’ at LGC – Ganga Persaud

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By Rupa Seenaraine Former Local Government Minister, Ganga Persaud has placed the blame for the chaos at the Local Government Commission squarely at the feet of Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan, which, he noted, has been stymied due to the withholding of funds for its operations. During an interview with Guyana Times International on Monday, Persaud noted that prior to the budget hearings, the Communities Minister was supposed to submit pertinent documentation, which would recognise the agency as a constitutional body. However, this was never executed and the organisation remained under…

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Black History Month Series: Guyanese Writers of African Ancestry, part two

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(Part one featured Ivan Van Sertima, N. E. Cameron, Jan Carew, O. R. Dathorne and Beryl Gilroy. Part two features another five names.) There are as many ways to celebrate as there are appropriate ways to celebrate. The tenor of Black History Month should be celebrated with books. Here’s a short (but in no way a comprehensive) list of Guyanese works and their authors which could be used to commemorate the above. Egbert Martin Egbert Martin was a remarkable writer on many fronts. His was a short life of less…

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Trial of Muslim scholar accused of abusing 9 boys for March 7

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The Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Tuesday confirmed that the trial of Muslim scholar, Nezaam Ali, who was accused of sexual lymolesting nine boys between 2011 and 2012 will be heard on March 7, before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court. The defendant appeared before Justice Singh but his lawyer, Stanley Moore, requested a deferred date for the commencement of trial. He is expected to be formally indicted on nine counts for the offence of sexual activity with a child by abusing a position…

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Tourism body in Guyana signs MoU to attract Diaspora

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The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the United Guyanese Diaspora Global Network Corp (UGDGN) have entered into a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to engage the Guyanese Diaspora in various forms of tourism. The collaboration agreement is the first of its kind between the GTA and a Diaspora organisation, and promises attractive travel packages for the Diaspora community and information regarding travel opportunities. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the signatory for the UGDGN, Wayne Forde, “Signing this MoU with the Guyana Tourism Authority gives the United Guyanese…

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Guyana aims for expansion in air connectivity

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The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) between December 10-14, 2018, attended the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation (ICAN) event, which was hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. The annual ICAN event, in which seventy-one ICAO contracting States participated, specifically provides a gathering of these member States so as to conduct multiple bilateral and plurilateral air services negotiations, consultations and networking opportunities. The Guyanese group comprised of Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Col (Ret’d) Egbert Field, and Director for Air Transport…

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Aunt claims family of Sharezer Mendonca offered compensation to bury matter

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By Samuel Sukhnandan The family of Sharezer Mendonca, the third child to have died after receiving pre-chemotherapy treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in January, claimed that they were offered a compensation from a senior hospital official to bury the matter. The aunt of the six-year-old child, Sherry Ann Mendonca, said that the family has also been kept in the dark, which leads them to believe that the investigation may not be as independent as it should be. Mendonca feels that top officials at the hospital may be…

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