– GCCI boss urges citizens Recognising that the Government and Opposition have not yet been able to see eye to eye on a nominee to serve as Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commissions (GECOM)—although the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is set to hand down consequential orders on Friday— the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), through its President, Nicholas Boyer, has called on citizens to not allow politicians to control their actions. Boyer made this appeal at the launch of the Business Guyana Magazine 2019, hosted at Pegasus…
Read MoreYear: 2019
CARICOM supports judicial process in Guyana/Venezuela border controversy
Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) last Thursday expressed support for the judicial process being followed in the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, the Department of Public Information (DPI) has reported. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings updated the Heads of Government on the ongoing controversy, at the 40th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. The confab was held between July 3-9. The judicial process is intended to bring a peaceful and definitive end…
Read MoreThe anatomy of power in Guyana (Part 2)
By Ravi Dev Last week, we discussed the difference between “authority” – which an elected Government gets – and “power”, which depends on the latter’s control of the coercive arms of the state: the army, Police, bureaucracy etc., and certain groups within a society which can exercise “disruptive power”. We posited that in and out of office, the PNC controlled these institutions and it is why there were no effective protests following the firing of 7000 sugar workers, and with the refusal to accept the consequences of the NCM. The…
Read MoreThe Court cannot undo what the Constitution has done
Dear Editor, An online news agency has reported that the Guyana Government will ask the Caribbean Court of Justice (the Court) to rule that the Court cannot or should not direct that general elections are to be held within three months because that “will clearly be obstructing Parliament from exercising its constitutional power to extend the time if it becomes necessary to do so. The Court would be acting prematurely, and setting itself up for a clash with the Parliament”. With respect, one has to disagree with this sentiment. First…
Read MoreAurora Gold Mines’ workers continue fight for better working conditions
Workers of the Aurora Gold Mines (AGM) would have commenced discussions with officials of the Labour Department to negotiate their requests for improved working conditions and unionisation but presently, it is too early to predict if their calls will materialise. One worker told Guyana Times International that their problems were heard earlier this week and some were deemed non-negotiable on the Department’s end, promising that it will be fixed. While their representative, the National Mine Workers Union was uninvited to attend these briefings, it is unclear as to whether other…
Read MoreJudiciary condemns PM’s statement that “judge’s action smacks of vendetta”
The Supreme Court of Judicature has condemned statements published in the State-owned Guyana Chronicle attributed to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo who was quoted as saying that “…the judge’s action smacks of vendetta.” The Prime Minister, according to the article, was referring to Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry’s order that Finance Minister Winston Jordan pay Dipcon by July 8, 2019 or be jailed for 21 days. See full statement below: The Judiciary has noted with grave concern an article in the today’s Guyana Chronicle Newspaper captioned “’We have a right to protect taxpayers’…
Read MoreEmotional farewell as ECD businessman, daughter laid to rest
Hundreds of family members and friends on Wednesday crowded the home of Aaron Latchman as they paid their respects to the businessman and his daughter, Arianna Latchman, who were both killed on June 4 at their Better Hope, East Coast Demerara home. Latchman, a money changer, had dropped off his younger daughter to her lessons and upon his return home, he was confronted by the two gunmen. He was held at gunpoint and escorted to the upper flat of his home with his 18-year-old daughter. Reports are that the teen…
Read More“It is always worth it in the end”
By Lakhram Bhagirat In order to achieve great things, we have to make immense sacrifices and sometimes those sacrifices would see us losing out on precious moments. In the end, we always ask the question “was it all worth it?” and sometimes the answer surprises us. For 11-year-old Stefani Rafeek, the sacrifices made at an early age were totally worth it. For many children Stefani’s age, their regular day includes lots of leisure time and not so many hours of school and studying. However, Stefani knew she wanted to sacrifice…
Read MorePrison escapee confesses to raping elderly woman
A 39-year-old resident of Kumuni Creek, Demerara River, West Bank Demerara, on Tuesday admitted to the offence of rape at the Demerara High Court. Delon Blake appeared before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall and admitted that in July of 2017, he engaged in sexual penetration with a 76-year-old woman. After his client admitted to the crime, Defence Attorney Robindra Mohabir in an address to the court requested that a probation report be prepared before his client is sentenced. The application was granted and the convict will make his next court appearance on…
Read MoreNo vacuum…
…in self-interest The plot thickens – even as it expands! – in the ongoing saga of the hustle of a few who’ve been hypocritically posing as fighting for the economically “marginalised” African Guyanese community, even as they’ve been single-mindedly and voraciously seeking via their connections with the PNC-led Government, to fill their own pockets. And as usual, Eric Phillips of SARA and ACDA is in the thick of the thickening plot!! The first episode exposed Phillips and cohorts while loudly proclaiming their struggle to recover “ancestral lands” for African Guyanese,…
Read More