Year: 2019

“Brazen arrogance”

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…Opposition says of caretaker Govt moving ahead with 2020 Budget preparations Despite the passage of a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the Government and the fact that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has said Government should be in caretaker mode, preparations have commenced for 2020’s Budget. This is in implicit violation of the CCJ’s ruling of the functions of a Caretaker Government following a NCM. The CCJ ruled on June 18 that the Government was defeated by a vote of NCM, meaning early elections must be called. But just three…

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Better infrastructural planning needed

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…as Guyana prepares for First Oil, says Houston energy consultant By Kristen Macklingam As Guyana continues to prepare for a booming oil and gas industry, the government is being urged not to forget to develop its infrastructure. Energy Consultant from the Callender Law Firm in Houston, Texas, Edwin Callender, underscored the importance of infrastructural planning during an Oil and Gas Business Training Conference on Thursday morning at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown. He explained that in preparing Guyana for the oil and gas sector the entire country needs to be able…

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CJ calls on media to be more cautious when reporting on suicide, domestic violence

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Given the high prevalence of suicide and other social ills in Guyana, acting Chief Justice, Roxanne George on Friday, during a workshop hosted for the media, underscored the need for helplines to be placed at the end of such reports to proffer assistance from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). “Might I suggest that the Guyana Press Association (GPA) take the initiative, if it has not done so already, to partner with our leading NGO’s on gender based violence so as to set guidelines for Guyana and get the permission to place helpline…

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Man allegedly electrocuted in bid to hang self

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A 22-year-old East Coast Demerara man was allegedly electrocuted during a bid to commit suicide. Dead is Vickram Bridgmohan of Phase Two, Good Hope, ECD. The young man reportedly lived alone in a dilapidated wooden house. He was discovered dead sometime around 11:00h on Sunday by his sister who lives next door. At the time that he was found, Bridgmohan had a wire wrapped around his neck. He is believed to have been mentally unstable. According to his sister, Seema, she usually cooks for the young man. She explained that…

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US-based Guyanese lands in Court for firing shots with illegal gun

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…claims gun was for his “protection” while in Guyana An overseas-based Guyanese will soon be arraigned before a court of law for discharging a loaded firearm in the air on Sunday night, thereby scaring a number of residents at Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE). Reports are that the man, who is on vacation from the United States, was spending time with relatives at Parika. This newspaper was told that the overseas-based Guyanese was caught driving a car and firing shots as he made his way through the streets of the…

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This confounded nonsense…

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  …by PNC must stop How much more shame and embarrassment must this PNC government and its myrmidons be allowed to bring upon the Guyanese people? When are we going to stand up and say, “No more!!”? Your Eyewitness, of course, is referring to the CCJ’s “post-judgement hearing” that was held on Monday – when the eminent justices had to literally roll their eyes at the submissions of the “government side” as to what consequential orders ought to be issued. Mendez for the Opposition side was extremely succinct: just follow…

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Government Ministers in Guyana should be reprimanded for ‘idiotic’ statement on CCJ

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Dear Editor, Two Government Ministers were reported to have said that Guyana is a sovereign country (whatever that means) so the CCJ cannot instruct Guyana how to run its affairs (including holding elections or replacing the Chairman of GECOM). The Ministers are wrong and are on a war footing for which there is no justification. The statements were made out of complete ignorance. Although I am not a lawyer, I am versed in constitutional matters and the concept of sovereignty. When I was doing doctoral studies in political science, my…

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Campbellville woman robbed, beaten by armed bandits

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An Austin Street, Campbellville, Georgetown woman is now traumatised and nursing injuries to her head after she was beaten and robbed by gunmen who invaded her home in a brazen daylight robbery on Wednesday morning. The woman, 49-year-old Baljinder Kaur, was at home with her maid when the three armed men invaded at about 10:00h. This newspaper was told that neighbours heard screams emanating from Kaur’s residence and shortly after saw men with a black bag exiting the premises. One of the men was seen placing a gun into his…

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Justice Patterson steps down

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Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson, has stepped down and handed in his resignation for the position, which the Caribbean Court of Justice recently found, that he was unconstitutionally holding. This announcement was made on Tuesday after Patterson met with President David Granger. The vacating of the position came days after public pressure for the CCJ ruling to be accepted. In a statement following the meeting between Granger and Patterson, Government’s commitment to accept the ruling invalidating Patterson’s appointment was reiterated. This would mean that Government has…

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Conflict of interest?

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Dear Editor, The revelation that ExxonMobil paid the travelling expenses of the Minister of Petroleum’s wife, First Lady Sandra Granger; Head of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe; and that of the entourage is extremely disappointing to learn. It would seem that the Granger Administration is incapable of comprehending what constitutes ethical and acceptable behaviour. In sports coaching, we look for ‘teaching’ moments, and then there are times when repetition of mistakes is so glaring that the coach must take the ‘hairdryer’ approach, made famous by Sir Alex Ferguson…

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