Dear Editor, The Government of Guyana, as it reluctantly prepares to face the Guyanese people at the polls, is shamelessly clutching at every straw to avoid the electorate, and seems to have gone on a massive propaganda blitz. Almost daily, the Prime Minister’s Department of Public Information spends thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on full page colour advertisements in the newspapers titled “Confidence in Guyana”. Those advertisements seek to showcase what the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) deems as achievements, if they really can be deemed so in…
Read MoreYear: 2019
Urgent action needed to address issue of rejected rice shipment
– Ramsammy Following the recent confiscation of 70 metric tonnes of White Cinderella rice from Guyana by Jamaica’s Industries, Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry, there have been widespread criticisms centred at the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). As such, former Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said that a concerted effort is needed to have this issue addressed at the soonest possible time to ensure that the loopholes that may exist are corrected quickly and effectively by the Board. He reminded that there are standard protocols for rice and paddy being exported.…
Read MoreGuyana’s History
Not often are we afforded the opportunity to see what Guyana back in the day looked like. All we have to do is to rely on the stories of our parents and their grandparents or some of us may be luck to view a few photos from their collections. So here are a few photos from our archives that gives you a little taste of British Guiana. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
Read MoreAlleged love triangle ends deadly at Grove
A triangular love affair turned deadly on Wednesday with the discovery of 53-year-old Rohan Khanai Persaud’s body, which was found in Samatta Point Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Police preliminary reports stated that the handyman was killed by his friend, who was allegedly having an affair with Persaud’s reputed wife. Guyana Times International was told that the discovery was made at about 06:30h by residents who saw the body at the corner of the road. According to Police reports, he was found with a gash on his abdomen. This newspaper…
Read MoreAttorney accuses Guyana Govt of abusing State resources for political campaign
By Samuel Sukhnandan Immediately after the No-confidence Motion was passed in the National Assembly and following the High Court’s ruling in the matter, the coalition Government has upped its political campaigning, although President David Granger is yet to announce a date for the constitutionally mandated General and Regional Elections. Local political analysts and commentators have also taken note of the frequent travel of Government Ministers to various parts of the country, including the hinterland region. This points to the fact that Guyana is still in need of a modern piece…
Read MoreECD man jailed, fined G$221M for narco trafficking
Azim Baksh also known as “Bato” of Phase One, Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, who was busted with 91.132 kg of cocaine and 56.008 kg of cannabis in a fishing vessel at Mon Repos, ECD, was on Tuesday found guilty of narcotics trafficking. Baksh appeared before Magistrate Alisha George at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court where he was informed that there is enough evidence against him and as such, he was found guilty. Magistrate George sentenced Baksh to five years’ imprisonment and fined him G$221 million. In addition, the boat in…
Read MoreNew delay tactics by PNC
Dear Editor, General Elections must be held in Guyana, I repeat, General Elections is mandated for this nation by March 31, 2019, and true to form, the PNC and their thug machinery are coming up with these what I would call, new tactics. Well, it is not a totally new exercise because the moment elections are to be held in this country, there is bound to be a sudden upsurge in crime and criminal activity of some sort from the well-known PNC machinery and ‘blame it on The PPP/C’ sort…
Read MoreThe degutting of democracy in Guyana
The return of democracy to Guyana in 1992 was part of a global movement dubbed by Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington, as the “third wave” of democracy following the first wave in 19th century Europe and the US and the second, following WWII. At the time, one local commentator cautioned: “the history of the previous waves should temper our euphoria somewhat. The transition process is not automatic – there are no irresistible democratic forces marching through history. At best, there may be a demonstrator effect. The process may also be…
Read MoreGovt remains committed to human development – Harmon
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Saturday said that the increase in the number of Government scholarships awarded since May 2015 is evidence of Government’s commitment to national development and the eradication of poverty and ignorance. Minister Harmon, who was at the time speaking at an orientation session for awardees of Government scholarships, held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC), said Government’s budgetary allocation to the education sector was also a sign of its commitment to the sector. Scholarships have increased from 464 for the period 2011 to 2014,…
Read MoreBlack History Month Series: Guyana Writers of African Ancestry, part one
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 by no way a comprehensive) list of Guyanese works and their authors which could be used to commemorate the above. Ivan Van Sertima ‘They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America’, written by Ivan Van Sertima, published 1977, was one of those controversial books that stabbed at misconceptions about Africans. Van…
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