In 2011, the Carter Center recommended the implementation of campaign financing laws and even prior to that, the Alliance For Change (AFC) was pushing for the implementation of the laws; however, after three years in Government, the party and its coalition partner are yet to make a step in that direction. At a press conference to reflect on its third election victory anniversary on Friday, party Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan made another promise to deliver the much-touted piece of legislation. He noted that they have begun the campaign to draft the…
Read MoreAuthor: TIMES INT'L
Any government that wants to block criticisms must be questioned
Dear Editor, The Cyber Crimes Bill with its obnoxious and evil “sedition clause” will unleash a sledgehammer blow to free speech and deny citizens their God-given right to criticise the Government of the day and demand accountability in public office. The sedition clause criminalises statements or words “either spoken or written, a text, video, image, sign, visible representation, or other thing, that brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in Guyana.” This looks very strange…
Read MoreEarning…
…AFC’s keep The leaders of the AFC have moved from the risible to the ridiculous. Khemraj Ramjattan wants “constitutional” change – as promised since he hitched up with Trotman – AND he wants to give a statutory imprimatur to the common law criminal charge of “seditious libel”??!! God help us all on this benighted speck of real estate on South America!! Has the fellow ever heard of “incommensurable paradigms”?? That’s what “constitutionalism” and “seditious libel” constitute. The latter arises from the days of the absolute Monarchy, when the rule was:…
Read MoreGuyana’s high unemployment rate due to fall of ‘underground’ economy – SARA
…but experts say it is due to Govt’s lack of job creation initiatives, firing of thousands With the unemployment rate of persons over 15 years lingering at 12 per cent and youth unemployment at 21.6 per cent, Guyana’s woeful joblessness rate has been linked to the Government’s fight against financial crimes and the so called ‘underground’ economy. In an interview with the media on the sidelines of a training exercise on Monday, State Assets Recovery Agency (SARU) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aubrey Retmyer spoke about the entity’s fight against capital…
Read MoreJoiner remanded to prison for allegedly stealing gold chain
Twenty-eight-year-old Peter Waldron was on Monday remanded to prison after he was accused of stealing a G$71,000 gold chain. The joiner and father of one, who resides at Lot 6 Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Judy Latchman. The charge against him alleged that he, on May 8, 2018, at Cornhill Street, Georgetown, stole the chain from Deon Persaud. The man denied that he was in the area at the time of the offence, telling the court that he was at home. He told…
Read More‘Nice time in jail’
…New video shows prisoners doing drugs, gambling …calls made for Ramjattan, Samuels to go New video evidence of prisoners at the New Amsterdam Prison, who are on remanded for serious offences surfaced on Wednesday, raising new concerns about the quality of supervision and security within the facility. On Wednesday, Head of State David Granger expressed worry about the recent Mother’s Day ‘bash’ that featured prisoners sporting high-priced liquor and narcotics. The video, which was secured and seen by Guyana Times International, shows some of the same prisoners featured in photos…
Read MoreGuyana to access US$1.7M advance from World Bank
…to help build capacity in oil and gas sector Guyana is expected to access an advance to a US$20 million World Bank loan to build capacity in the oil and gas industry by June. Natural Resources Minster Raphael Trotman said Government would like to access an advance of US$1.7 million but needed to “urgently” establish a Project Implementation Unit (PIU). The PIU, spearheaded by the Natural Resources Ministry, must include a coordinator, financial director and have procurement capacities among other requirements. “Once those are in place we can receive the…
Read More2015 Elections Petition case being stalled unnecessarily – Nandlall
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Saturday said it was concerned over the continued and prolonged delays that have stalled the hearing of the Elections Petition case filed in the High Court, challenging aspects of the results declared following the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections. The Party’s legal representative and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall confirmed that much progress has not been made in determining several matters related to the petition, which is before the High Court. He recalled that after the PPP filed its case in the…
Read MoreGuyanese nurse receives honorary degree from US university
Mandy La Fleur will be the first resident nurse in Guyana to receive a Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Saint Joseph. She accepted the honorary degree on Sunday in Connecticut, USA. According to an article published by the Department of Public Information (DPI), Nurse La Fleur was identified to receive the endowment after her résumé was reviewed in 2017 by University President Rhona Free and the Board of Trustees. La Fleur was considered because of her commitment to improving the health and wellness of the people of…
Read MoreWhy the silence of the ABC countries on the Cybercrimes bill?
Dear Editor, With each passing day, APNU/AFC’s arrogance and contempt for the people of this country become more apparent. The latest assault on our dignity and fundamental rights by these neo-colonial political elites is their Cybercrime Bill and its obnoxious “law of sedition” clause. The law of sedition clause states that “a person can commit an offence of sedition if the person, whether in or out of Guyana, intentionally publishes, transmits or circulates by use of a computer system, a statement or words, either spoken or written, a text, video,…
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