Month: February 2020

“We do not want post-election violence” – Harmon tells Carter Center

TIMES INT'L

Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, on Wednesday met with representatives of the Carter Center who are in Guyana as part of the contingent of international observers for the upcoming General and Regional Elections. The team was headed by International Election Observation Mission Field Office Director Carlos Valenzuela, and included Legal Analyst Anne Marlborough, and Deputy Field Office Director Nicholas Jahr. Valenzuela informed Director General Harmon that the team is making its rounds and has met with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Ethnic Relations Commission…

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Ali lashes out at Coalition Govt for disrespecting Indigenous peoples

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People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali has stated that the incumbent APNU/AFC coalition does not deserve the respect of Guyana’s Indigenous people since they disrespected them on many occasions. Ali was at the time addressing residents of Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) during a public meeting on Sunday. He pointed out that the first thing that the party has to do if it wants to bring development to the people of Guyana is respect them. “Any leader who cannot respect you do not deserve your respect. [President David]…

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Elections 2020 and jobs

TIMES INT'L

The General and Regional Elections are weeks away and as expected, the political parties are using every possible opportunity to convince the electorate to give them a chance to manage the affairs of the nation. One of the main issues that voters would be making their decision on is the policies and plans of the various parties in terms of job creation and training opportunities since these are key concerns of everyone, especially young people. In fact, if one were to conduct a survey among youths in Guyana to find…

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Prominent Essequibo Coast rice miller arrested for issuing bounced $10M cheque

TIMES INT'L

A prominent rice miller of Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has found himself in hot water after he allegedly issued a cheque valued over $10 million to another prominent rice miller in his region knowing that he was committing a crime. Reports are that the man owed the other rice miller, identified as Roopan Ramotar aka “Fowlcock” almost $31 million for 4.64 tonnes of rice that the man had credited to him. After some time, the rice miller made no attempts to pay Ramotar for the large quantity of rice,…

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GECOM must be ready to deliver fair elections in one month!

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, The Official List of Electors (OLE) is out, and political parties are very busy scrutinising its published composition in every division. Thousands of party activists are comparing the OLE along with the previously released Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) as well as the Revised List of Electors (RLE). Obviously, the purpose is not limited to ensuring that they are in a position to advise supporting voters, but to flag any flagrant errors and omissions. In the circumstance, it is evident that the public will use all legal lens…

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APNU takes election campaign to burial ground

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The incumbent A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition has taken its political campaigning to one of the most sombre occasions – a funeral. A video was trending on social media showing Minister within the Communities Ministry, Annette Ferguson, speaking at a burial service somewhere in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region. While the video has caused outrage on social media, it also became the source of comedic jabs since the Minister, who has responsibility over the housing sector, had to be corrected after she called the deceased by the wrong…

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Guyana’s first crude lift for February – Dr Bynoe

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In a matter of a few days, the Government of Guyana will lift its first share of crude from the Liza Phase One Development, according to the Energy Department’s Director, Dr Mark Bynoe. “I am sitting here and I can definitively say that Guyana’s first million-barrel entitlement will be shipped in February. You can call that what you wish but that’s a reality,” Dr Bynoe said during an on-air interview on Thursday. The Energy Head was at the time responding to questions surrounding the deal Guyana has with ExxonMobil and…

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Despite firing over 7000 workers, President says he “preserved” sugar industry

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Despite the closure of four massive sugar estates and the firing of over 7000 workers under his tenure in office, caretaker President David Granger believes that his Administration has “preserved” the industry. He shared this position during at a campaign rally at Leonora on West Coast Demerara on Friday evening. Granger addressed the gathering as Presidential Candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition, as the date for the polls draws nearer. Shortly after his Administration took office back in 2015, estates along the sugar belt…

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Govt should do more to fight corruption – Global Witness

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A key report written by award-winning anti-corruption advocate Global Witness has urged the Guyana Government to prioritise increasing its capacity to fight off corruption, particularly with the massive inflows expected from oil. The report, titled “Signed away” and released only days ago by the United Kingdom-based Global Witness states that Guyana needs to develop the capacity to fight corruption considering the perception of corruption not only internationally but in its own shores. “Guyana ranked 93 out of 180 in Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index and many of the citizens…

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More false promises for sugar workers

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, Sugar workers have been treated as second-class citizens by the Granger-led APNU/AFC. They have been lied to and cheated on the last five years. During that time, David Granger never once acknowledged their plight. Suddenly, it is election time and Granger and APNU/AFC are twisting themselves like a good American pretzel, making more false promises to the sugar workers, not only reaffirming their second-class citizen treatment, but now treating them like they are stupid. For five years they did nothing to give the sugar workers land, which they…

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