One may choose to question, or not question, President Granger’s noble proposal to engage in “unity” talks with the Opposition. Any such sincere intention can only benefit Guyanese. The Granger-led Government however, sends mixed signals which for some alludes to the contrary, that this Government has absolutely no intention of fostering any type of “unity” whether in ruling the country or among its citizens. But before one could even speculate on this Government’s sincerity, and the possibility of uniting Guyanese, focus should be placed on the crumbling foundation of this…
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Unity Talks
In recent weeks, there has been much rhetoric about the need for the newly elected Government and official Opposition in Guyana to engage in talks for ‘national unity’ and a ‘national unity Government’ and concomitantly, about creating the atmosphere of the said outcome. Some of the more seasoned political commentators have already added their voices to the discourse. A majority of them have been critical of the opposition Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) for its negative position on the purported invitation issued to the party to start discussions by Prime…
Read MoreEconomic decline will affect those at the bottom
The Guyanese economy has been on a downward spiral since the May 11 Election period, but unlike the recurrent trend, this “quasi” decline is prolonging, without any prospects of amelioration in the near future. Most analysts expect the downturn to become a full-blown decline, which is defined as two successive quarters of declining growth. We have completed one quarter. While those in the business sector expect some level of slowdown during the elections as it has always been in the country due to the heavy tensions that reign, what was…
Read MoreTragedy in Syria
As the wave of refugees from Syria engulfs Europe by sea, air and land, the world is gradually beginning to ask questions about “causes” of the tragedy. Evidently, because the situation is now defined as a “European Crisis” and the victims – some of them at least – are breaking out of the anonymity of faceless “refugees”. The image of Aylan Kurdi, the three year old toddler lying dead, face down on a beach in Turkey as he and his family tried to reach Canada via Germany, finally seemed to…
Read MoreThe Berbice Bridge: Life, liberty and property
When John Locke laid down the foundations of what is now the “liberal state”, he proposed that the right to “life, liberty and property” is sacrosanct against the depredations of the Leviathan when in control of men of narrow vision. Thomas Jefferson substituted “the pursuit of happiness” for “property” in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, not because he disagreed with Locke, but because he considered the two terms coterminous. How could one “pursue happiness” when mired in poverty? From the 18th century to the present, if there has been one…
Read MoreCompleting Infrastructural Plans
As the Budget debate rages in Parliament, there is unfortunately more heat than light being produced on several issues. One of them in the continuation of the UNASUR sponsored “Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America” (IIRSA) which is supposed to link South America’s economies through new transportation, energy, and telecommunications projects. We were included in second component of the Guyana Shield Hub aspect of the Initiative, focusing on connecting us to Brazil. The construction of the Takutu Bridge was a standalone project within the IIR-SA…
Read MoreThe intention behind the Government’s negligence
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan remained almost invisible and quiet since the coalition Government took Office. So quiet that one is led to wonder if he’s being deliberately silenced. His few attempts to address the drastic soar in crime observed over the past three months, appear to be a source of mockery and anger for the public, probably causing him to return to hide in his cocoon away from public criticism. Could it be that the Security Minister is being dictated a code of conduct and a restricted agenda by…
Read MoreThe Right to Life
On July 20, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) published a documentary on their YouTube channel entitled “Thin Slice: embracing the past and moving forward” which details the experience of a male-to-female transgender Guyanese youth who was involved in sex work and almost murdered by her paramour. The documentary, which is widely available on social media, purports to tell the story of 23-year-old Romario Lovell who is popularly known as “Thin Slice” and the amount of abuse she endured from her partner who committed suicide after brutally hacking to…
Read MoreGovernment and Rice
Rice was one of the bright spots in our agriculture sector, which at one point constituted almost one-third of our GNP. While it is expected that as we develop, agriculture might contribute a smaller percentage of our output as we move into manufacturing and services, in a world transfixed by “food security”, we have to guard against throwing out the baby with the bath water because of the marketing challenge posed by Venezuela’s cancellation of their rice-for-oil deal. Continued success lies in the private sector shouldering their responsibilities under a…
Read MoreBringing back Jagdeo
The announcement by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Clement Rohee that there is a strong possibility that Bharrat Jagdeo could return to the helm of day-to-day politics as this country’s Opposition Leader has ruffled some feathers and made the leadership of the country’s governing coalition apparently uneasy. Since the disclosure that Jagdeo was favoured as the candidate to take the PPP/C forward following the May 11 General and Regional Elections, ‘anti-Jagdeoites’ have launched a new wave of attacks against the PPP/C. Leading the cause in this respect are the…
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