TIMES INT'L

Underground exploration at Aurora Gold Mine showing positive signs

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

After securing clearance from both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Goldfields Incorporated, owner of Aurora Gold Mine, has begun what is being described as successful underground explorations at its north-west Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) location. Following a tour of the mine on August 27, Senior Vice-President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Perry Holloway told the Department of Public Information (DPI), that the EPA’s clearance gives the company up to 2500 metres of underground exploration, plus test mining for 300,000 tons of ore. “We…

Guyanese should demand that Granger call elections now!

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, The House-to-House Registration was unreasonably and deliberately unleashed by the caretaker Granger Government to delay and to ultimately deny the benefits of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) which was passed more than eight months ago. It is simply a fraud by GECOM to initiate House-to-House Registration after six months of the passage of the NCM to benefit Government. Guyanese need to be convinced that GECOM is functioning independently from Government. Without a doubt, such a useless and dubious registration process will push the Regional and National Elections way past…

‘Another attempt to further delay polls’

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

…Nandlall says of Govt’s decision to appeal parts of CJ’s ruling After months spent in the court contesting the No-Confidence Motion, the Government is set on returning to the court, this time to appeal Chief Justice Roxane George’s recent ruling that persons who were previously registered cannot be removed from the National Register of Registrants. When contacted, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Saturday said that now that the Government has appealed the ruling, he and his legal team will have to consider whether or not to file a cross-appeal.…

Security dilemmas and majoritarianism

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

By Ravi Dev We are fighting (literally) to hold elections under our “majoritarian” democratic rule (actually by a “plurality”) to determine which party will govern. But to what end? The operation of the majoritarian procedural principle of democracy in Guyana has precipitated “Ethnic Security Dilemmas” in some groups, even since independence was on the horizon. For Indian-Guyanese, which at one time could deliver a majority on their own to their preferred party, the PPP, as Dr Cheddi Jagan said, they would be in “office” but not in “power”. In 2003,…

Our batsmen need to ‘look at themselves seriously in the mirror’ – Holder

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

A target of 419, with well over a day’s play to go, was always going to be tricky for West Indies, but 100 all out in 26.5 overs was perhaps a notch or three lower than where the team wanted to be. Captain Jason Holder said their batsmen need to “look at themselves seriously in the mirror” after that display. “Our batters did not come to the party,” Holder said after the game in North Sound, where Jasprit Bumrah’s “magic balls” hasted West Indies’ end as he finished with incredible…

Guyanese youths urged to utilise skills, become entrepreneurs

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

…as 96 graduate from skills training programme Ninety-six persons graduated with honours on Tuesday from the 2019 youth entrepreneurial skills training programme coordinated by the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport. As more expertise will be added into the country’s workforce in areas such as catering, masonry, plumbing among others, the graduating youths were urged to use the newly acquired skills to start their own businesses. This charge was made by Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, George Norton, who noted that the…

Broadcast Authority commends TVG, RGI for catering for the differently abled

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

Privately-owned Television Guyana (TVG) and Radio Guyana Inc (RGI) were among the broadcast agencies commended by the Guyana National Broadcast Authority (GNBA) for its compliance with broadcast guidelines catering for persons living with disabilities. TVG and RGI were complimented by Chairman of the GNBA’s Board, Leslie Sobers, during the 4th Stakeholder Engagement held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, where 24 broadcast media entities attended. TVG, in catering for persons with disabilities, is the only local broadcast agency which provides closed captioning for its major newscast, Evening News. This is…

Guyana Teachers Union hoping to reenter salary talks with Govt next month

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) is optimistic that the Education Ministry will be able to honour its promises made in the last agreement by next month, to hopefully reinitiate the discussions on teachers’ wages, among others soon. President of the GTU, Mark Lyte in an interview with this publication on Tuesday explained that the Ministry is yet to address certain matters under the last agreement inked in October last year. “Some of the things still being addressed currently [include] the debunching and the clothing allowance will be paid in September.…

Promises…

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

…and lies Ever since Walter Raleigh went up the Essequibo River in search of “El Dorado”, the city of gold, Guiana was sold as a land full of potential and opportunity. Raleigh, of course, was tossed into the Tower of London (literally) when his promises to Queen Elizabeth (the 1st…not this one!!…she’s not THAT ancient!!) weren’t kept!! But we did make a whole lotta Europeans rich from our Guyana gold sugar crystals, didn’t we?? For hundreds and hundreds of years, we certainly did!! African slaves toiled away while they were…

Merging of the two lists should be rejected

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, The long-awaited decision presented on August 27 by GECOM Chairman, Justice Claudette Singh, is fraught with a myriad of problems. Christopher Ram, in his letter, “Justice Singh is probably unaware of complexity and difficulties of merging two lists”, lists some legitimate reasons about the merging of the lists. The credibility of the latest dubious registration process is particularly worrisome since this exercise was conducted under questionable circumstances. One blogger, Tarron Khemraj, pointed out, “the merging of the list could see the backdoor removal of thousands of names, disproportionately.”…