Author: TIMES INT'L

Coalition partners resume talks

TIMES INT'L

…as Ramjattan fights to be selected as Granger’s running mate for 2020 polls The leaders of the A Partnership for National Unit (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) met on Thursday and have agreed to resume dialogue one week after talks broke down over the selection of AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan as the Coalition’s Prime Ministerial candidate for March 2020 General and Regional Elections. Leader of the APNU, President David Granger and Leader of the AFC, accompanied by Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Volda Lawrence and AFC General…

Read More

Attaining a PhD from a reputable university is commendable

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, Our congratulations to Irfaan Ali, now Dr Ali, on his accomplishment in attaining an earned doctorate from a very reputable University of the West Indies (UWI). I was one of those who was not pleased with explanations about his qualifications, but Dr Ali’s accomplishment has erased all such doubts. The UWI has very high standards, probably higher than most American universities. So the award of a PhD to Dr Ali has removed all questions about his qualifications. This now puts to rest the spurious criticisms of Dr Ali’s…

Read More

‘I couldn’t find a job’

TIMES INT'L

– phone thief tells Cops A 20-year-old man of Prashad Nagar, Georgetown was on Thursday charged for stealing a cellular phone from a 17-year-old girl several days ago. Kevin Abrams was placed on G$25,000 bail when he made his appearance before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Number 51 Magistrates’ Court. Abrams told investigators that he committed the crime because he could not find a job. The victim, Kelly Singh, was walking home at Number 55 Village, Corentyne Berbice when she was attacked by Abrams. Abrams reportedly punched to teen to…

Read More

Diwalia: a global celebration

TIMES INT'L

Diwali is celebrated throughout the world to ward off the darkness and welcome the light into our lives. Celebrating the triumph of good over evil and spanning five days each autumn, Diwali is considered by some to be the start of the New Year. In 2017, Diwali will be celebrated on October 27. In Guyana, this “festival of lights” is believed to have been brought to Guyana in the 1800s by the first indentured people from India. The celebrations hold special significance: wearing new clothes is a symbol of healthy…

Read More

Unravelling…

TIMES INT'L

…hyphenated identities As happens like clockwork around every election, someone or other will throw into the boiling pot of our politics that cleaves around ethnic identities. “Oh why can’t we all be just GUYANESE, why do we have to be hyphenated-Guyanese??” And of course, then sanctimoniously announce THEY’ve been able to do it and why can the rest of us follow in their hallowed footsteps??!! The assumption, of course, is that hyphenation is a bad and backward thing!! Now right away we gotta point out that this hyphenated-Guyanese business isn’t…

Read More

Higher sea defences needed

TIMES INT'L

…as high tides batter several villages in Guyana  With intense overtopping along the costal stretch as a result of high tides this past year, persons residing on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) are calling for stronger reinforcement to the sea defences. The effects of climate change are beginning to worry scores of residents, who have, for three times already this year, battled with extreme flooding from overtopping caused by unusually high tides. Guyana Times International visited communities on Wednesday, including Stewartville, where the sluice suffered a breach on Tuesday…

Read More

‘Demon’ among 4 charged for gold dealer’s murder

TIMES INT'L

…Doctor, others charged for accessory to murder Two weeks after businessman Deon Stoll was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in front of El Dorado Trading Inc on Da Silva Street in Newtown, Kitty, Georgetown, eight persons were hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Four were charged with murder, while the others were charged with accessory to murder. Those charged for murder are 38-year-old Shane Morgan called “Demon”, a graphic artist of Lot 45 East La Penitence, Georgetown; Wayne St Hill, 38, of Lot 27 Dowling Street Kitty, Georgetown…

Read More

Coalition politics and opportunism

TIMES INT'L

The present contretemps between the PNC and the AFC over the fate of their Cummingsburg Accord in general, and who gets to choose their Prime Ministerial candidate, in particular, is the seen as the “politricks de jour”, temporarily shoving aside discussions on how precisely the PNC would rig the next elections. But behind these proximate causes lie deeper structural reasons for the dissonance in decision-making in the coalitions – within APNU and in the APNU/AFC combine. These emanate from the nature of the coalitions these parties formed; their relative sizes;…

Read More

Writing Back to Guyana

TIMES INT'L

(Extract of an interview with Kim Sheldon, Georgetown, Guyana, September, 2019. Sheldon is a novelist and historian.) PP History is fascinating. Research is fascinating. Guyana is fascinating – from El Dorado to sugar to oil, yes, Guyana is fascinating. The most fascinating thing of Guyana though is its people especially those who have settled in the Diaspora, those who are writing back to Guyana. This writing back to Guyana is important. I am addressing you as a writer and historian, why have you come to Guyana? KS The reason that…

Read More

East Canje woman is 100 not out!

TIMES INT'L

Rachel Isabella Michael celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, three days after she became the country’s latest centenarian. Despite being confined to a chair, starting just about one year ago, Michael is up and about – cooking, attending church, and reading without glasses. Born on October 23, 1919, Michael has five children aged 75, 73, 68, 62 and 53. She has lived to see her fourth generation, having 19 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and several great-great grandchildren. Born at Betsy Ground, East Canje, Michael spent most of her life there. During…

Read More