Where will Guyana be at the end of 2007? That is the question of the day...mail your thoughts to: guyana360@gmail.com
Tonight we home sipping on Grey Goose and vodka and just happen to be flipping though television stations only to find President Bharrat Jagdeo and Robert Corbin, Opposition Leader, jostling for our attention.
Who you think grabbed our attention?
Corbin of course.
There was no need to listen to the President’s New Year’s address for the obvious reason…For a President he has a bunch of lazy speech writers who simply tap into his inauguration speech and extract some high points and then butter it up nicely.
Don’t just take our word for it, listen to the speech that was presented to the Parliament.
Corbin on the other hand was worth the pound of salt, for two main reasons; An Opposition Leader is expected to flip the shiny side of the rock to reveal the damp, dark truth about the entire unit. The second reason stemmed from the obvious fact that the PNCR-1G (1 more Greedy man in Parliament) lost ground at the 2006 elections and it would have been interesting to hear about the party’s future.
Corbin…
“Beneath the thin layer of window dressing that passes for normalcy lie tensions, uncertainties and a sense of anxiety as to where the winds of fortune will take us next.
Our people have long ceased to be distracted by frequent pronouncements about progress and development. Quite simply, they are far too preoccupied with the reality of their own difficult circumstances. Those circumstances make a mockery of the ceaseless declarations that Guyana is “going places’. The crisis that is afflicting our country cannot be wished away by colourful propaganda and elaborate “spin”. It is real for all to see.
Every Guyanese is aware that poverty and hard times persist, that crime and corruption have become uncontrollable cancers and that, as a people, we are divided. Every Guyanese is aware of the relentless flight of skills from our country and of the sense of frustration among our young people who cannot satisfy their aspirations. Every Guyanese is aware of that sense of apprehension about what lies ahead for our country. These concerns and anxieties cannot be glossed over by hollow-sounding pronouncements about progress. They hang like the proverbial sword of Damocles over our heads. As the late, great musical genius Bob Marley put it - “he, who feels it, knows it”. The façade of progress which the Government is seeking so desperately to sustain continues to be exposed for what it is – a mere chimera.”
On the party…
“I believe that it is fitting at this time that the People’s National Congress Reform provides its members and supporters with renewed expressions of our concern for issues that affect their lives and the lives of all of the people of this country. In the days, weeks and months ahead you will see greater evidence of a vigorous and constructive agenda in our approach to tackling our responsibilities with respect to representation of your issues and concerns.”
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Reflections!
Almost a year sine we at Guyana 360 entered the blogging spectrum and it seems as if it is yesterday. We have seen and heard a lot about Guyana and undoubtedly many of our readers still question the minds and hands behind it all.
And yes some of our critics have axed innocent Guyanese like our dormant friends over at the Demerara Light House who recently ridiculed a local journalist for running this blog and for associating with Freedom House.
For our readers, this blog is owned and controlled by three foreigners based in Guyana or islanders as Guyanese would say. We are backed by a team of contributors, who give of their time and energy which we appreciate.
During 2007, we intend to seek out more contributors and expand our base to other Caribbean nations. We have had some high points during last year, but similarly we have been stung by our share of bugbears.
Recently our business travels have taken us to various parts of the Caribbean and over the coming weeks, we intend to share our photographic experiences.
Running a blog is nothing easy, less of course you are Imran Khan (‘im Khan run nuff blogs), who runs multiple blogs and is one of the best local bloggers, probably second only to Guyana gal.
Happy 2007 to all...
And yes some of our critics have axed innocent Guyanese like our dormant friends over at the Demerara Light House who recently ridiculed a local journalist for running this blog and for associating with Freedom House.
For our readers, this blog is owned and controlled by three foreigners based in Guyana or islanders as Guyanese would say. We are backed by a team of contributors, who give of their time and energy which we appreciate.
During 2007, we intend to seek out more contributors and expand our base to other Caribbean nations. We have had some high points during last year, but similarly we have been stung by our share of bugbears.
Recently our business travels have taken us to various parts of the Caribbean and over the coming weeks, we intend to share our photographic experiences.
Running a blog is nothing easy, less of course you are Imran Khan (‘im Khan run nuff blogs), who runs multiple blogs and is one of the best local bloggers, probably second only to Guyana gal.
Happy 2007 to all...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Georgetown All-Ready Fuh-Cup
Remnants of a fridge left on the pave along High Street, Kingston.Some say the city will all be ready for Cricket World Cup, but we say that by next year the City will be "All-Ready Fuh-Cup.
Competition...
There should always be pulsating competition within our service industries, especially those that ordinary Guyanese rely on daily.
Here in Guyana not too many companies, local or foreign, brave the sometimes thorny consumer market to create the type of competition that can benefit consumers, especially in the areas of water, electricity and telephone. These are considered essential services.
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) basically supplies electricity to a large percentage of the populist. Then there is the monopoly on water supplied by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), which is managed by the Irish firm, Severn Trent. And of course the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd. (GT&T) which enjoys a monopoly on the provision of land line telephone service.
The Government gave a commitment that after it penetrated GT&T’s monopoly on the provision of cellular service, it would pursue any possible course of action to sever the company’s monopoly as stipulated in an agreement signed with the then PNCR administration.
Now that the aggressive Caribbean mobile company Digicel has acquired Celstar, one can only imagine that consumers will be the greatest benefactor and not the Government.
Celstar was the Government’s straw to break the huge market share enjoyed by GT&T in the mobile industry but, that was not to be. Digicel is an aggressive company that has worked its way through the Caribbean and now seeks to march through the South American markets. They have shown in the last three years that they have the capacity to do so and will be tested by the Guyana market.
It is most welcoming to know that finally a company can challenge GT&T in some aspect of its service. But what about the other companies, those providing the essential services such as water and electricity? There has been no move by the Government to break those monopolies. Probably the answer lies in the fact that Government is a major shareholder at GPL and GWI.
However, GPL is not the only company that provides electricity to Guyanese. There are other companies that do so in the inland regions. The services offered by GPL and GWI are described as distasteful and unfriendly to consumers. The majority of consumers that receive bills from these two companies feel insure about the amounts they receive on their bills.
It is no wonder that GPL looses approximately US$50 Bln annually to electricity theft. The majority of consumers that opt to steal electricity are those who have been connected legally and not those who are living in low income housing areas which are yet to receive the service. This was a predestined thought before GPL announced recently that a survey showed that prominent businesses are stealing electricity despite having the service. Generally it is felt that GPL cannot be trusted and theories abound to support this fear.
The ordinary man could tell tales that GPL has over billed them at some period over the last six months. That is a common complaint by consumers who find it difficult to make ends meet. It is hard to imagine that in the technology and information age, GPL still gives a consumer an average bill based on a reading done every three to four months.
If averages were the way to go then charges could not be too far away from the charge prepared when the meter reading took place. Think again. GPL sometimes bills a pensioner for millions when that same pensioner would have received a bill the previous month for less than $20,000. GPL continues to fleece consumers, but the Government which should be safeguarding its citizens, turns a blind eye. Instead, the Government backed Power Company recently moved to disconnect the city council for millions of dollars it owed.
In the same vein the company owes the City Council millions of dollars too. Instead of arriving at an agreement, GPL disconnects the power as a tactic to bring pressure on those managing the affairs of the city. The Government believes that the City Council should be replaced by an Interim Management Committee (IMC) and not through Local Government Elections.
Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall moved a Motion in the National Assembly last Thursday to postpone the elections for 2006. If the Government’s sinister plot to replace the Council was not clear enough, President Bharrat Jagdeo himself made it clear that the Government was taking over in managing the clean up exercise in the city for Cricket World Cup. This was another avenue to embarrass the council.
If that was not enough, the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) which is led by a man that joined the PPP/C ring is leading workers on a strike action. Some of those workers have called for an IMC.
The Government should know better. An IMC in Georgetown will never happen. Georgetown should become a competitive arena where political parties can present the best plan to the electorate and have them decide. If the Government feels that it could serve well then it should have no problem competing in a competitive election race for control of the capital.
Similarly, consumers should be given an opportunity to be faced with an array of choices when it comes to the provision of essential services.
GWI with is poor billing process and almost empty pipelines, GT&T’s slow rate of expansion of the landline service and GPL treacherous billing system would all be replaced if there was vibrant competition.
Evidence is there to be seen that competition prompts good changes for the consumer and for the company. One just needed to look at GT&T’s GSM system which was non-existent before Government announced Celstar’s entrance into the market.
The Government should seriously consider liberating the water and electricity sectors and maybe they will start using the phrase: “getting better all the time.”
Here in Guyana not too many companies, local or foreign, brave the sometimes thorny consumer market to create the type of competition that can benefit consumers, especially in the areas of water, electricity and telephone. These are considered essential services.
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) basically supplies electricity to a large percentage of the populist. Then there is the monopoly on water supplied by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), which is managed by the Irish firm, Severn Trent. And of course the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd. (GT&T) which enjoys a monopoly on the provision of land line telephone service.
The Government gave a commitment that after it penetrated GT&T’s monopoly on the provision of cellular service, it would pursue any possible course of action to sever the company’s monopoly as stipulated in an agreement signed with the then PNCR administration.
Now that the aggressive Caribbean mobile company Digicel has acquired Celstar, one can only imagine that consumers will be the greatest benefactor and not the Government.
Celstar was the Government’s straw to break the huge market share enjoyed by GT&T in the mobile industry but, that was not to be. Digicel is an aggressive company that has worked its way through the Caribbean and now seeks to march through the South American markets. They have shown in the last three years that they have the capacity to do so and will be tested by the Guyana market.
It is most welcoming to know that finally a company can challenge GT&T in some aspect of its service. But what about the other companies, those providing the essential services such as water and electricity? There has been no move by the Government to break those monopolies. Probably the answer lies in the fact that Government is a major shareholder at GPL and GWI.
However, GPL is not the only company that provides electricity to Guyanese. There are other companies that do so in the inland regions. The services offered by GPL and GWI are described as distasteful and unfriendly to consumers. The majority of consumers that receive bills from these two companies feel insure about the amounts they receive on their bills.
It is no wonder that GPL looses approximately US$50 Bln annually to electricity theft. The majority of consumers that opt to steal electricity are those who have been connected legally and not those who are living in low income housing areas which are yet to receive the service. This was a predestined thought before GPL announced recently that a survey showed that prominent businesses are stealing electricity despite having the service. Generally it is felt that GPL cannot be trusted and theories abound to support this fear.
The ordinary man could tell tales that GPL has over billed them at some period over the last six months. That is a common complaint by consumers who find it difficult to make ends meet. It is hard to imagine that in the technology and information age, GPL still gives a consumer an average bill based on a reading done every three to four months.
If averages were the way to go then charges could not be too far away from the charge prepared when the meter reading took place. Think again. GPL sometimes bills a pensioner for millions when that same pensioner would have received a bill the previous month for less than $20,000. GPL continues to fleece consumers, but the Government which should be safeguarding its citizens, turns a blind eye. Instead, the Government backed Power Company recently moved to disconnect the city council for millions of dollars it owed.
In the same vein the company owes the City Council millions of dollars too. Instead of arriving at an agreement, GPL disconnects the power as a tactic to bring pressure on those managing the affairs of the city. The Government believes that the City Council should be replaced by an Interim Management Committee (IMC) and not through Local Government Elections.
Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall moved a Motion in the National Assembly last Thursday to postpone the elections for 2006. If the Government’s sinister plot to replace the Council was not clear enough, President Bharrat Jagdeo himself made it clear that the Government was taking over in managing the clean up exercise in the city for Cricket World Cup. This was another avenue to embarrass the council.
If that was not enough, the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) which is led by a man that joined the PPP/C ring is leading workers on a strike action. Some of those workers have called for an IMC.
The Government should know better. An IMC in Georgetown will never happen. Georgetown should become a competitive arena where political parties can present the best plan to the electorate and have them decide. If the Government feels that it could serve well then it should have no problem competing in a competitive election race for control of the capital.
Similarly, consumers should be given an opportunity to be faced with an array of choices when it comes to the provision of essential services.
GWI with is poor billing process and almost empty pipelines, GT&T’s slow rate of expansion of the landline service and GPL treacherous billing system would all be replaced if there was vibrant competition.
Evidence is there to be seen that competition prompts good changes for the consumer and for the company. One just needed to look at GT&T’s GSM system which was non-existent before Government announced Celstar’s entrance into the market.
The Government should seriously consider liberating the water and electricity sectors and maybe they will start using the phrase: “getting better all the time.”
Monday, November 27, 2006
Funny Mail Found on Trail...
Mail Trail:
Word out that Mr. Neaz Subhan will or might succeed Terry Holder as Deputy GM, Communications @ GTT.
Neaz can get over US$3,000.00 plus perks for this position. Any bets?
J
Guyana360: Funny!!! Thats the best joke since the President announced plans to have children after this year's elections.
We bet US$1.00 against Mr. Subhan, a washed up Sharmanite, an anchor at nights who is really an actor and not a playwright.
Word out that Mr. Neaz Subhan will or might succeed Terry Holder as Deputy GM, Communications @ GTT.
Neaz can get over US$3,000.00 plus perks for this position. Any bets?
J
Guyana360: Funny!!! Thats the best joke since the President announced plans to have children after this year's elections.
We bet US$1.00 against Mr. Subhan, a washed up Sharmanite, an anchor at nights who is really an actor and not a playwright.
Welcome One,Welcome All to Guyana
Welcome to the first in a series of publication on Guyana's readiness for CWC 2007, which is expected to attract over 30,000 visitors.
As any one of the over 30,000 arrive at the overhauled CJIA, they will recieve an official tribal welcome. A group of Guyanese showed a German just how hospitable we are as a people...
The police in Georgetown are investigating a robbery under arms that was committed on German National Rita Ghunter, 63 years, and her husband at about 2130h. on Friday November 24, 2006 at Sheriff and Canje Streets, Campbellville.
Investigations revealed that the victims had earlier arrived into the country through the CJIA and travelled to Campbellville by way of taxi. Upon arrival at their destination and while disembarking from the vehicle they were attacked by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun. The men lashed them about their bodies with pieces of wood and took away Rita Ghunter’s handbag which contained $3,000.00 US; 300 Euros, a watch, jewellery and documents and escaped on foot.
Guyana360: Welcome to Guyana, a nation on the tip of the South American Continent.
As any one of the over 30,000 arrive at the overhauled CJIA, they will recieve an official tribal welcome. A group of Guyanese showed a German just how hospitable we are as a people...
The police in Georgetown are investigating a robbery under arms that was committed on German National Rita Ghunter, 63 years, and her husband at about 2130h. on Friday November 24, 2006 at Sheriff and Canje Streets, Campbellville.
Investigations revealed that the victims had earlier arrived into the country through the CJIA and travelled to Campbellville by way of taxi. Upon arrival at their destination and while disembarking from the vehicle they were attacked by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun. The men lashed them about their bodies with pieces of wood and took away Rita Ghunter’s handbag which contained $3,000.00 US; 300 Euros, a watch, jewellery and documents and escaped on foot.
Guyana360: Welcome to Guyana, a nation on the tip of the South American Continent.
We ready fuh rain or are we?
The drainage and irrigation system on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) is working well and in anticipation of expected heavy rainfall during the November-December rainy season, further improvement works are ongoing.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud today (Saturday) inspected critical D&I structures on the ECD and pronounced on their efficiency even though it was raining heavily. He was accompanied by Region Four Chairman Clement Corlette and Senior Engineer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth.
Following visits to Plaisance, Montrose, Lusignan, Buxton, Belfield, Craig Milne, Hope, Strathavon and the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), Minister Persaud expressed satisfaction with the present status of the D&I system in terms of its preparedness.
“Based on our assessment, we are satisfied that the units are working and that necessary plans are in place. We have identified some additional work that the Region and the NDIA will have to undertake,” he said.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud today (Saturday) inspected critical D&I structures on the ECD and pronounced on their efficiency even though it was raining heavily. He was accompanied by Region Four Chairman Clement Corlette and Senior Engineer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth.
Following visits to Plaisance, Montrose, Lusignan, Buxton, Belfield, Craig Milne, Hope, Strathavon and the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), Minister Persaud expressed satisfaction with the present status of the D&I system in terms of its preparedness.
“Based on our assessment, we are satisfied that the units are working and that necessary plans are in place. We have identified some additional work that the Region and the NDIA will have to undertake,” he said.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
What’s buzzing…? Sharma won a seat
Breaking News: Post elections controversy brewing…
We have just learnt through the grapevine that there are major errors in GECOM’s results.
Now that some bright person has come up with the correct final results, it shows that the great, yet small mitta Sharma may have won a seat in Parliament and is now eligible to create ruckus in the National Assembly.
But for po’ Sharma to get that seat the AFC must relinquish one of its National Top up seats bec-aurse the right tabulation of the results clearly shows that Sharma won a seat.
Opposition Leader and PNCR-1G Leader Robert Corbin has made this case to GECOM.
It is ironic that the AFC was calling on the PPP/C to do the decent thing and give up the Region 10 seat since the PPP/C was given the seat courtesy of a tabulation error by GECOM.
Will the AFC give Sharma his seat?
If it does and it gains that Region 10 seat from the PPP/C, it means that the AFC will remain with 5 seats, but Sharma will gain a seat, while the PPP/C would loose one of its 36 seats.
Another cracking joke is that the seat that the PPP/C is holding on to in Region 10, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds occupies it. If they give it up, what will happen to the Prime Minister, who has been appointed the Head of Parlaiament for the first time since 1992.
There is also controversy surrounding the time in which the official results were declared, which could render it null and void, but for now the political directorate have ignored this fact. We’ll keep you posted as it develops…
The most peaceful election according to International Observers is turning out to have the most comical finishes and all the International Observers are gone!!!
What’s buzzing…?
So many questions about what is really buzzing in Guyana. Readers sent in very interesting mails about politics, sports, entertainment and of course crime in anticipation of what we might reveal as buzzing…We hate to disappoint the news-cravings.
E-Buzz is buzzing in Guyana. It is a free entertainment magazine-Guyanese could do with some free merchandise for a change-that presents an entertaining, less bloody and less political side of Guyana.
It is exactly what the doctor ordered with Cricket World Cup 2007 on the horizon (hopefully the sun rises on December 31 and Guyana is given the green light by the ICC to host CWC matches).
Under the stewardship of Mondale Smith as Editor-in-Chief, the magazine in its first few issues has produced some stunning work.
It also brings to the fore, sharp, yet humorous stories. Take for instance; one front page story featured Cricket enthusiast and sports writer Sean Devers who said that he wanted to be God for a day. Intriguing start...
While we love the general idea of the new feel good E-Buzz publication, we must say how disappointed we were in the first issue that had quite a few errors, including an article with text so small that it gave new meaning to the phrase, an eye-popping story.
First impression always counts and the newspaper failed miserably.
Eric Phillips and Leslie Bonnar will obviously provide some stability to the publication and they will have to also provide a balancing act to the ever unstable Mondale Smith, who just loves hopping from TV to print, media house to media house.
He started the Extra newspaper, another publication that seeks to highlight a better side of Guyana, but he left before his days in the sun by the car park selling Extra could pay off.
The print quality of E-Buzz is also debatable.
It looks cheap and stiff and lacks that whole feel good nature to the pages.
However, E-Buzz has good strong content and no one could deny the team E-Bragging rights.
E-Buzz is buzzing in Guyana. It is a free entertainment magazine-Guyanese could do with some free merchandise for a change-that presents an entertaining, less bloody and less political side of Guyana.
It is exactly what the doctor ordered with Cricket World Cup 2007 on the horizon (hopefully the sun rises on December 31 and Guyana is given the green light by the ICC to host CWC matches).
Under the stewardship of Mondale Smith as Editor-in-Chief, the magazine in its first few issues has produced some stunning work.
It also brings to the fore, sharp, yet humorous stories. Take for instance; one front page story featured Cricket enthusiast and sports writer Sean Devers who said that he wanted to be God for a day. Intriguing start...
While we love the general idea of the new feel good E-Buzz publication, we must say how disappointed we were in the first issue that had quite a few errors, including an article with text so small that it gave new meaning to the phrase, an eye-popping story.
First impression always counts and the newspaper failed miserably.
Eric Phillips and Leslie Bonnar will obviously provide some stability to the publication and they will have to also provide a balancing act to the ever unstable Mondale Smith, who just loves hopping from TV to print, media house to media house.
He started the Extra newspaper, another publication that seeks to highlight a better side of Guyana, but he left before his days in the sun by the car park selling Extra could pay off.
The print quality of E-Buzz is also debatable.
It looks cheap and stiff and lacks that whole feel good nature to the pages.
However, E-Buzz has good strong content and no one could deny the team E-Bragging rights.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Flaming
The Flame & The Ribbon
National Cultural Centre
Candle Lighting from 7 pm
Broken Promise from 8 pm
Broken Promise from 8 pm
Written & Directed by Desiree Edghill
Get your tickets early
Get your tickets early
Call 225-5112 for details and ticket info
Friday, November 17, 2006
Mail...Trail
A frequent reader sent us a mail describing U.S. moves to gain a foot hold in these parts...enjoy....Its an International assessment.
Washington Looks to Cement its Military Presence in Central America
The U.S. Military Presence
The U.S. has had a lasting presence in modern Honduras, primarily at the Soto Cano airbase, which has witnessed scores of human rights abuses during the 1980s. The American troops now stationed in Honduras are known as Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), a component of the
U.S. Southern Command (Southcom), which was formed in 1983 under the original name of Joint Task Force 11. At that time, handsomely bribed Honduran officials closed their eyes to the fact that U.S.-backed insurgents were staging sorties into Nicaragua from Honduran territory, while Tegucigalpa concomitantly refused to acknowledge the covert ventures. It is not entirely clear how many U.S. troops were stationed at Soto Cano and other Honduran-based military installations during the 1980s.
Conservative estimates place that number at anywhere between 2,000 to 5,000 troops, who were there as part of a training mission.
Today, Soto Cano houses between 350 to 500 U.S. troops belonging to the 612th Air Base Squadron and the 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment. Since the closing of the American facilities in Panama over the last decade, the U.S. has relied more and more on smaller bases across the hemisphere.
These include Manta in Ecuador, Comalapa in El Salvador, as well as a comparable base in the island of Aruba. Still, Honduras’ Soto Cano continues to be the pillar of the U.S.’s Central American military presence. With the departure of the U.S. Army’s 228th Aviation Battalion from Fort Kobbe, Panama, many aviation assets of U.S. Army South (USARSO), Southcom’s army component, were moved to Soto Cano.
These include a command and control element, CH-47 “Chinook” helicopters, as well as UH-60 “Blackhawk” and “Medevac” helicopters. Since the end of the 1980s, the troops serving at Soto Cano have often been used for disaster relief operations. A Joint Force Quarterly article proudly cited how JTF-Bravo aided the populations of Guatemala and Honduras after last year’s Hurricane Stan and Tropical Storms Beta and Gamma hit the region. The base has always been on Washington’s radar, as exemplified by President Clinton’s trip to the facility in March 1999, and the recent Bush-Zelaya discussions on its future.
The Future of Soto Cano and the MosquitiaGeneral Romeo Vázquez, chairman of the Honduran joint general staff, declared on July 15 that Honduras would be building, with U.S. assistance, a new military installation in the province of Gracias a Dios. According to Vázquez, the proposed base would house aircraft and fuel supplying systems.
While Washington defense officials see Caracas as a potential security threat to its neighbors, some would argue that the same accusations can be made by Venezuelan officials regarding Rumsfeld’s actions in the region. Under Rumsfeld, the U.S. significantly expanded its military presence and ties throughout the hemisphere.
On August 2005, he was the first U.S. Defense Secretary to visit Paraguay. The trip was widely regarded as connected to the ongoing U.S. military exercises (13 in total from July 2005 to the present). It has been widely speculated that these talks may have involved the consideration of permanent bases that could signify a more permanent American military presence in Paraguay. Rumsfeld later visited Peru during his South American tour in order to court then-president Alejandro Toledo. Rumsfeld also was after gaining more support for the ill-reputed, Brazilian-led MINUSTAH mission in Haiti.
An Expansive Rumsfeld“I can’t imagine why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s,” Rumsfeld told reporters in Brasilia during a March 2005 joint news conference, in regards to the proposed Venezuelan purchase of rifles from the Kremlin.
Rumsfeld may have grounds to criticize such a transaction, but he lacked consistency when he neglected to comment on the numerous Chilean military purchases. These have led to the beginning of what may well be a multinational arms race, raising already mounting security concerns in Lima and La Paz.
On October 22, the Chilean daily El Mercurio reported the first batch of 100 Humvee all-terrain vehicles had arrived, purchased by Santiago as part of its aggressive military modernization campaign. According to the report, the Chilean army plans to buy over 200 Humvees and upgrade them with 106mm guns and a battlefield missile system. Chile also purchased a squadron of Lockheed F-16s raising concerns regarding its growing air force. If Rumsfeld was so concerned with the de-stabilizing effects of aggressive weapon purchases by a western hemisphere nation, he could have used the same language to object to Chile’s recent purchases with equal justification.
Rumsfeld is known to be a strong supporter of maintaining a U.S. presence in Soto Cano, and would have probably advocated moving Palmolera’s operations to the Mosquitia site if necessary. With his resignation, it is not entirely clear if Washington will continue to prioritize the maintenance of a noticeable footprint in the area, especially if it serves, apart from responding to natural disasters with relief assistance, very little purpose. Former officials such as Uribe point out that there is little need for the U.S. to maintain a presence at Soto Cano in the post-Cold War world.
Washington Looks to Cement its Military Presence in Central America
The U.S. Military Presence
The U.S. has had a lasting presence in modern Honduras, primarily at the Soto Cano airbase, which has witnessed scores of human rights abuses during the 1980s. The American troops now stationed in Honduras are known as Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), a component of the
U.S. Southern Command (Southcom), which was formed in 1983 under the original name of Joint Task Force 11. At that time, handsomely bribed Honduran officials closed their eyes to the fact that U.S.-backed insurgents were staging sorties into Nicaragua from Honduran territory, while Tegucigalpa concomitantly refused to acknowledge the covert ventures. It is not entirely clear how many U.S. troops were stationed at Soto Cano and other Honduran-based military installations during the 1980s.
Conservative estimates place that number at anywhere between 2,000 to 5,000 troops, who were there as part of a training mission.
Today, Soto Cano houses between 350 to 500 U.S. troops belonging to the 612th Air Base Squadron and the 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment. Since the closing of the American facilities in Panama over the last decade, the U.S. has relied more and more on smaller bases across the hemisphere.
These include Manta in Ecuador, Comalapa in El Salvador, as well as a comparable base in the island of Aruba. Still, Honduras’ Soto Cano continues to be the pillar of the U.S.’s Central American military presence. With the departure of the U.S. Army’s 228th Aviation Battalion from Fort Kobbe, Panama, many aviation assets of U.S. Army South (USARSO), Southcom’s army component, were moved to Soto Cano.
These include a command and control element, CH-47 “Chinook” helicopters, as well as UH-60 “Blackhawk” and “Medevac” helicopters. Since the end of the 1980s, the troops serving at Soto Cano have often been used for disaster relief operations. A Joint Force Quarterly article proudly cited how JTF-Bravo aided the populations of Guatemala and Honduras after last year’s Hurricane Stan and Tropical Storms Beta and Gamma hit the region. The base has always been on Washington’s radar, as exemplified by President Clinton’s trip to the facility in March 1999, and the recent Bush-Zelaya discussions on its future.
The Future of Soto Cano and the MosquitiaGeneral Romeo Vázquez, chairman of the Honduran joint general staff, declared on July 15 that Honduras would be building, with U.S. assistance, a new military installation in the province of Gracias a Dios. According to Vázquez, the proposed base would house aircraft and fuel supplying systems.
While Washington defense officials see Caracas as a potential security threat to its neighbors, some would argue that the same accusations can be made by Venezuelan officials regarding Rumsfeld’s actions in the region. Under Rumsfeld, the U.S. significantly expanded its military presence and ties throughout the hemisphere.
On August 2005, he was the first U.S. Defense Secretary to visit Paraguay. The trip was widely regarded as connected to the ongoing U.S. military exercises (13 in total from July 2005 to the present). It has been widely speculated that these talks may have involved the consideration of permanent bases that could signify a more permanent American military presence in Paraguay. Rumsfeld later visited Peru during his South American tour in order to court then-president Alejandro Toledo. Rumsfeld also was after gaining more support for the ill-reputed, Brazilian-led MINUSTAH mission in Haiti.
An Expansive Rumsfeld“I can’t imagine why Venezuela needs 100,000 AK-47s,” Rumsfeld told reporters in Brasilia during a March 2005 joint news conference, in regards to the proposed Venezuelan purchase of rifles from the Kremlin.
Rumsfeld may have grounds to criticize such a transaction, but he lacked consistency when he neglected to comment on the numerous Chilean military purchases. These have led to the beginning of what may well be a multinational arms race, raising already mounting security concerns in Lima and La Paz.
On October 22, the Chilean daily El Mercurio reported the first batch of 100 Humvee all-terrain vehicles had arrived, purchased by Santiago as part of its aggressive military modernization campaign. According to the report, the Chilean army plans to buy over 200 Humvees and upgrade them with 106mm guns and a battlefield missile system. Chile also purchased a squadron of Lockheed F-16s raising concerns regarding its growing air force. If Rumsfeld was so concerned with the de-stabilizing effects of aggressive weapon purchases by a western hemisphere nation, he could have used the same language to object to Chile’s recent purchases with equal justification.
Rumsfeld is known to be a strong supporter of maintaining a U.S. presence in Soto Cano, and would have probably advocated moving Palmolera’s operations to the Mosquitia site if necessary. With his resignation, it is not entirely clear if Washington will continue to prioritize the maintenance of a noticeable footprint in the area, especially if it serves, apart from responding to natural disasters with relief assistance, very little purpose. Former officials such as Uribe point out that there is little need for the U.S. to maintain a presence at Soto Cano in the post-Cold War world.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
More Police Successes in “Greene” Land of Guyana
Fresh on the heels of the major drug and gun bust on Friday last, police today shot and killed a gun man on the East Coast of Demerara after he tried to engage joint services ranks using an AK-47 rifle.
Reports suggest that the man was acquited of attempted murder earlier this year.
Details later...
Reports suggest that the man was acquited of attempted murder earlier this year.
Details later...
Mail...Trail
Hi,
I'm a U.S. shortwave listener & was listening to theVoice of Guyana last night for a few hours. This morning, I did a little searching around on the Internet for more station info and I found your blogabout the destruction of the radio archives from the station.
Wow, so sorry to hear about the lack ofgovernment interest in your station's history (bothfrom a historic and cultural prospective).
I wish I could just scoop up a couple of armloads of tapes &record them to CDs for archival.
I guess those are thehazards of the Internet--in some ways, the world is avery small place, yet in others it's just as big asever.Anyway, thank you very much for the fascinatingreading & have a great day!
Andrew
I'm a U.S. shortwave listener & was listening to theVoice of Guyana last night for a few hours. This morning, I did a little searching around on the Internet for more station info and I found your blogabout the destruction of the radio archives from the station.
Wow, so sorry to hear about the lack ofgovernment interest in your station's history (bothfrom a historic and cultural prospective).
I wish I could just scoop up a couple of armloads of tapes &record them to CDs for archival.
I guess those are thehazards of the Internet--in some ways, the world is avery small place, yet in others it's just as big asever.Anyway, thank you very much for the fascinatingreading & have a great day!
Andrew
Guyana at its best.
This is the latest issue of Gem Magazine, an astonishing work of of Guyanese art. The publisher of this bi-monthly magazine must be given credit for showcasing Guyana through rays of good light, in a sea crowed with screaming front page newspaper headlines of all the ill things about this "Greene" land.The cover photo of Gerry Gouveia taken at the Ogle airstrip by Dwayne Hackett is astonishing.
We await the next issue of Gem, since the August/September issue was a drag, especially that front page portrait of a popular celeb' news anchor.
More Mail on da Trail...
For those of you in the NYC area, we are sharing this invitation with you, pop by and get to meet some of our staffers. Where ever you see rum you'll find our two technical support employees...Note the dress code.
This Friday, November 17th
Sholay Productions & Curry Club NYC invite you to break out those leopardprint hotpants and join us for a wild time atDesilicious Bollywood Jungle!
Get ready for two floors of Bollywood, Bhangra, Soca, Chutney and Tribal beatswith Ashu Rai, Bobby, Suraj, and Raj. Plus, look out for some wild new dragsters prowling the dancefloor!
Desilicious: Bollywood JungleFriday, November 17th
Doors open 10pm PEPPER95 Leonard Street @ BroadwayA/C/E to Canal 1 to Franklin St.Music: Downstairs Ashu Rai & Bobby Upstairs: Suraj & RajBig Screen Bollwood Visuals, Drink Specials.
Dress code: animal prints, loin cloths, and faux fur!
Cover: $15 http://www.sholayevents.com/
This Friday, November 17th
Sholay Productions & Curry Club NYC invite you to break out those leopardprint hotpants and join us for a wild time atDesilicious Bollywood Jungle!
Get ready for two floors of Bollywood, Bhangra, Soca, Chutney and Tribal beatswith Ashu Rai, Bobby, Suraj, and Raj. Plus, look out for some wild new dragsters prowling the dancefloor!
Desilicious: Bollywood JungleFriday, November 17th
Doors open 10pm PEPPER95 Leonard Street @ BroadwayA/C/E to Canal 1 to Franklin St.Music: Downstairs Ashu Rai & Bobby Upstairs: Suraj & RajBig Screen Bollwood Visuals, Drink Specials.
Dress code: animal prints, loin cloths, and faux fur!
Cover: $15 http://www.sholayevents.com/
Mail Trail...
A frequent vistor to our blog sent this...
At 10.51 pm Guyana Time
been tring to access Living Guyana Blog & the Guyana 360 blog
cant access none. Any reasons?
Who deleted the Demerara Light house Blog?
Whats happening Guys
J
Guyana360: J, at 10:52 Livinguyana, Guyana360 was up and running, maybe its your ole' computer that you have stuck on dial up. Demerara Light House Blog has been touched by an angel and now it is gone. As the name suggests, it was once a blog of archieves serving a similar status as the real Demerara Light House...i.e eh eh eh!!! no purpose.
At 10.51 pm Guyana Time
been tring to access Living Guyana Blog & the Guyana 360 blog
cant access none. Any reasons?
Who deleted the Demerara Light house Blog?
Whats happening Guys
J
Guyana360: J, at 10:52 Livinguyana, Guyana360 was up and running, maybe its your ole' computer that you have stuck on dial up. Demerara Light House Blog has been touched by an angel and now it is gone. As the name suggests, it was once a blog of archieves serving a similar status as the real Demerara Light House...i.e eh eh eh!!! no purpose.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Linkin' up:Beauty and the Beast
Mrs. South America may be innocent since we understand that the man caught with her, Sean Hinds was actually a bodyguard during the pageant. Perhaps he was to remain guarding the queen, who knows???
Hinds (far right) is seen here posing with some of the girls from the pageant.
Mrs. South America held with guns
Carolan Lynch crowned Mrs. South America last month
Remember that large arms cache found by the police on Friday.
It turned out that one of the persons held is the queen above.
Word from the street is that she was out to take out some "Bitch"
that messed with her. We just have one question to ask her,
are you foolish girl, you had so much going for you.
And after what happened to Mya Rahaman...Why????????
??????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????
?????????????????
???????????????????????
?????????????????????????
?????????????????????????
????????????
?????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????????????
W-A-R in "Greene" Guyana
Items siezied from an early morning raid on Friday by the Guyana Police...We just cannot help but notice that since Henry Greene, DSM took over the helm of the force, the amount of success he snapped up under his belt.
Greene has a huge, santa clause looking tummy, so he does have space for some more successes under his belt.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
India Revealed
India is one of the world's most populated country, where children are forced to sllep on streets and perform daily to make a living.
Yet we rely on India's economy.
Here is the true India. The side you will not hear about. a side that the media has tried to hide over the years.
Yet we rely on India's economy.
Here is the true India. The side you will not hear about. a side that the media has tried to hide over the years.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
New Cabinet, Same ole' Behaviour.
The 10 new smiley faces within the Cabinet may be new but the ole' addage states: one good appale spoils the bunch. A good example that this saying still holds true was evident in the recent protest by residents of La Grange over the poor water supply in their area.
Their protest promted a visit from the Minister of Housing and Water- A Minister long spoiled by the bad apple (Ask AFC member Boyo Ramsaroop).
GINA describes the visit:
Residents of La Grange to get adequate water supply
-New well being installed
Minister of Housing and Water Harry Narine Nawbatt today visited several areas on the West Bank of Demerara where he interacted with residents who complained of poor water supply.
Residents of La Grange who have been receiving inadequate water supply will soon get a normal supply as a new well is being constructed in the area.
“We would hope that the entire situation on the West Bank be sorted out long before Christmas,” the Minister said.
Guyana360: The Minister should be ordering GWI to fix the problem before Christmas, not just hoping that it be fixed. Too many hopes in one mind, leads to hopelessness and there are many Guyanese dabbling in dreams. Minister Nawbatt and the Jagdeo Governmnet must know that a reactive government may be good for PR and helping to gain popularity among the masses but a proactive government will always be respected as a force of authority. Castro, Chavez and Bush are all proactive leaders; President Bharrat Jagdeo? Well we need not say much more.
Their protest promted a visit from the Minister of Housing and Water- A Minister long spoiled by the bad apple (Ask AFC member Boyo Ramsaroop).
GINA describes the visit:
Residents of La Grange to get adequate water supply
-New well being installed
Minister of Housing and Water Harry Narine Nawbatt today visited several areas on the West Bank of Demerara where he interacted with residents who complained of poor water supply.
Residents of La Grange who have been receiving inadequate water supply will soon get a normal supply as a new well is being constructed in the area.
“We would hope that the entire situation on the West Bank be sorted out long before Christmas,” the Minister said.
Guyana360: The Minister should be ordering GWI to fix the problem before Christmas, not just hoping that it be fixed. Too many hopes in one mind, leads to hopelessness and there are many Guyanese dabbling in dreams. Minister Nawbatt and the Jagdeo Governmnet must know that a reactive government may be good for PR and helping to gain popularity among the masses but a proactive government will always be respected as a force of authority. Castro, Chavez and Bush are all proactive leaders; President Bharrat Jagdeo? Well we need not say much more.
GuyEpo 2k6…Ring, Ring
GuyEpo 2006 was yet another missed opportunity for local businesses to effectively widen their market base.
Entrepreneurs from across the length and breath of this land choked into the olden structures at Exhibition Site Sophia under sweltering heat to promote their businesses, many of them still managed a smile from behind harden faces of disappointments.
Guyana’s epitome of a large fair trade and exposition was nothing but a large fair and dance attracting several entertainment starved youths.
Organisors promised that the event would not been used as an entertainment attraction, even though better sense prevailed since persisting along with the non-entertainment tune would have certainly set GuyExpo on the wrong chord.
The largest crowd was experienced on Sunday, jamming the walkways and the tarmac but few ever ventured to look around at the booths, judging from the instantly recognisable ease at which those who remembered it was a trade fair were able to enjoy the booths.
Overwhelmed by the large crowds on Sunday the organisors tried desperately to sustain their high level of preparedness and security, but like the Berlin wall, systems collapsed.
At the ticket booths, patrons became uneasy; at the gates, thugs, chic-chic board operators, firearm holders-some members of our team included, slipped (strolled) by easily without a whisper from security officials for a check.
NO Checks!!! No patting-down of the women by male security personnel (As was done last year), even metal detectors failed on that particular night. All of this under the watchful eye of ICC/CWC officials, since GuyExpo was used as one of two venues to test Guyana’s security plan for CWC 2007.
Monday evening presented a similar situation in relation to security, but this time more patrons ensured they visited the booths.
Without having to wait for an official assessment, we could safely pronounce that security was a partial failure. Partial because the almighty allowed for a rather incident free exposition
Without having to wait six months for the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce to provide an assessment, we could safely say that GT&T and its cellular phone vendors rang out as the company with the best marketing initiative.
Those trade-in offers were magnet to patrons. Other companies such as Courts Guyana Inc. also did well to attract interest and create excitement at GuyExpo. In General companies that gave away prizes managed good support from visitors.
Overall GuyExpo was a big sham
The worst booth has definitely SAFECO Group of Companies, the parent company of Guyflag.
Entrepreneurs from across the length and breath of this land choked into the olden structures at Exhibition Site Sophia under sweltering heat to promote their businesses, many of them still managed a smile from behind harden faces of disappointments.
Guyana’s epitome of a large fair trade and exposition was nothing but a large fair and dance attracting several entertainment starved youths.
Organisors promised that the event would not been used as an entertainment attraction, even though better sense prevailed since persisting along with the non-entertainment tune would have certainly set GuyExpo on the wrong chord.
The largest crowd was experienced on Sunday, jamming the walkways and the tarmac but few ever ventured to look around at the booths, judging from the instantly recognisable ease at which those who remembered it was a trade fair were able to enjoy the booths.
Overwhelmed by the large crowds on Sunday the organisors tried desperately to sustain their high level of preparedness and security, but like the Berlin wall, systems collapsed.
At the ticket booths, patrons became uneasy; at the gates, thugs, chic-chic board operators, firearm holders-some members of our team included, slipped (strolled) by easily without a whisper from security officials for a check.
NO Checks!!! No patting-down of the women by male security personnel (As was done last year), even metal detectors failed on that particular night. All of this under the watchful eye of ICC/CWC officials, since GuyExpo was used as one of two venues to test Guyana’s security plan for CWC 2007.
Monday evening presented a similar situation in relation to security, but this time more patrons ensured they visited the booths.
Without having to wait for an official assessment, we could safely pronounce that security was a partial failure. Partial because the almighty allowed for a rather incident free exposition
Without having to wait six months for the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce to provide an assessment, we could safely say that GT&T and its cellular phone vendors rang out as the company with the best marketing initiative.
Those trade-in offers were magnet to patrons. Other companies such as Courts Guyana Inc. also did well to attract interest and create excitement at GuyExpo. In General companies that gave away prizes managed good support from visitors.
Overall GuyExpo was a big sham
The worst booth has definitely SAFECO Group of Companies, the parent company of Guyflag.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
U.S evanglist has cure to HIV/AIDS
Does this man hold the key to unlock a cure to HIV/AIDS that kills thousands globally each year?
Guess not...No cure says the Health Ministry.
This U.S. evanglist does look a bit suspicious, but his presence in Guyana created a difference in the minibus culture. Almost every minibus driver along route 45 was blasting gospel music, a much welcome and soothing sound to the ear.
Could this HIV/AIDS curing, suspicious looking, toupee wearing, some say blaspheming, preaching, U.S. evanglist stay a while longer because he will learn that he is right at home with all the corrpution.
Welcome to the land of corruption where many other doctors who claim to have the cure to HIV/AIDS are allowed to practice at free will.
Welcome to the land where a pastor dictates that every member must sow a seed and out of which will spring a car, house and land for the preacher to continue his work for the higher calling.
Welcome to the land where the higher calling means that they are elevated above all other church members and they pass in their fancy cars and toot their horns at you while the soul of your feet slam against the tar pitched roads.
Welcome home Sir. Come for the church stay for the corrupt officials if you were not corrupted before you are bound to get a life changing experience.
Guess not...No cure says the Health Ministry.
This U.S. evanglist does look a bit suspicious, but his presence in Guyana created a difference in the minibus culture. Almost every minibus driver along route 45 was blasting gospel music, a much welcome and soothing sound to the ear.
Could this HIV/AIDS curing, suspicious looking, toupee wearing, some say blaspheming, preaching, U.S. evanglist stay a while longer because he will learn that he is right at home with all the corrpution.
Welcome to the land of corruption where many other doctors who claim to have the cure to HIV/AIDS are allowed to practice at free will.
Welcome to the land where a pastor dictates that every member must sow a seed and out of which will spring a car, house and land for the preacher to continue his work for the higher calling.
Welcome to the land where the higher calling means that they are elevated above all other church members and they pass in their fancy cars and toot their horns at you while the soul of your feet slam against the tar pitched roads.
Welcome home Sir. Come for the church stay for the corrupt officials if you were not corrupted before you are bound to get a life changing experience.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Slowly but Surely
Slow going…
Not much has been happening in the bloggers world lately, based on my jog through the arena.
Livinguyana is about to embark on its annual awards presentation for Guyanese journalists. Question is apart from naming reporters to individual categories, will they actually recieve insentives? Lately, many of our local reporters have been receiving both local and overseas awards for good reporting. Kudos to the media!!!
There is still no light over at the Demerara Light House as the bloggers there have been unable to post in several weeks.
Sharon over at the Voice over blog makes the point about large and small companies…Don’t worry all of her criticisms are channeled at promoting her marketing business.
Guyana gyal is still enthralled by an ole’ school friend.
Keep Blogging folks...
Not much has been happening in the bloggers world lately, based on my jog through the arena.
Livinguyana is about to embark on its annual awards presentation for Guyanese journalists. Question is apart from naming reporters to individual categories, will they actually recieve insentives? Lately, many of our local reporters have been receiving both local and overseas awards for good reporting. Kudos to the media!!!
There is still no light over at the Demerara Light House as the bloggers there have been unable to post in several weeks.
Sharon over at the Voice over blog makes the point about large and small companies…Don’t worry all of her criticisms are channeled at promoting her marketing business.
Guyana gyal is still enthralled by an ole’ school friend.
Keep Blogging folks...
NCN doing the “Wacky Dip”
The state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) in its usual haphazard way sought to make a bold statement by banning Passa Passa music from its programming.
Good for them, but the management must now be asked; what is Passa Passa music?
NCN with its fuzzy (no pun intended) policies seems confused as the rest of Guyana about this new Jamaican thing.
I say thing because most Guyanese seem not to know that Passa Passa started out as a dance in Jamaica on Ash Wednesday, 2003 and has now progressed as a culture.
Passa Passa incorporates, dance, music, fashion and colloquialism, making it the most successful fad to date in the history of dancehall.
Its spread has touched the shores of Japan and Europe and Guyana being the sponge of cultural identities has adopted everything that comes with Passa Passa.
Unlike some Caribbean countries, our Government has turned a blind eye to the staging of events that resembles the lewd Jamaican version of Passa Passa street jams.
NCN is trying to do what the Government has failed to do and that is to address the issue, especially since photographs published sometime ago by Kaieteur News show school-age children turning up at some of these events.
Those Afro-Guyanese based groups have also turned a blind eye to these developments although mostly Afro-Guyanese are seen in the environment where you have young girls and boys, provocatively dressed, partying late at nights in an arena that rewards lawless, licentious and lascivious behavior.
But, NCN needs to firstly understand that Passa Passa incorporates dancehall and reggae music. Are these genres banned from local radio?
Will NCN refuse to air, “Out and Bad” by Elephant man or “Ghetto Story” by Baby Cham in preference for R. Kelly’s “Slow Wine”?
There are other songs coming from the North that are just as bad as some of those dancehall lyrics and they are played repeatedly on NCN.
I am not advocating that all dancehall songs are for public consumption, but if NCN must conduct their censorship, it must be based on merit and not because a few people hop on a band wagon to express concern.
Some of these very people have their own misguided reasons.
NCN should focus more on important issues, like balancing its broadcast to incorporate African movies and more exposure of Afro-Guyanese celebrations to mirror those of Indo-Guyanese as was done during the recent festival of lights.NCN appears to be stepping to the “left and dipping” in its policies.
Good for them, but the management must now be asked; what is Passa Passa music?
NCN with its fuzzy (no pun intended) policies seems confused as the rest of Guyana about this new Jamaican thing.
I say thing because most Guyanese seem not to know that Passa Passa started out as a dance in Jamaica on Ash Wednesday, 2003 and has now progressed as a culture.
Passa Passa incorporates, dance, music, fashion and colloquialism, making it the most successful fad to date in the history of dancehall.
Its spread has touched the shores of Japan and Europe and Guyana being the sponge of cultural identities has adopted everything that comes with Passa Passa.
Unlike some Caribbean countries, our Government has turned a blind eye to the staging of events that resembles the lewd Jamaican version of Passa Passa street jams.
NCN is trying to do what the Government has failed to do and that is to address the issue, especially since photographs published sometime ago by Kaieteur News show school-age children turning up at some of these events.
Those Afro-Guyanese based groups have also turned a blind eye to these developments although mostly Afro-Guyanese are seen in the environment where you have young girls and boys, provocatively dressed, partying late at nights in an arena that rewards lawless, licentious and lascivious behavior.
But, NCN needs to firstly understand that Passa Passa incorporates dancehall and reggae music. Are these genres banned from local radio?
Will NCN refuse to air, “Out and Bad” by Elephant man or “Ghetto Story” by Baby Cham in preference for R. Kelly’s “Slow Wine”?
There are other songs coming from the North that are just as bad as some of those dancehall lyrics and they are played repeatedly on NCN.
I am not advocating that all dancehall songs are for public consumption, but if NCN must conduct their censorship, it must be based on merit and not because a few people hop on a band wagon to express concern.
Some of these very people have their own misguided reasons.
NCN should focus more on important issues, like balancing its broadcast to incorporate African movies and more exposure of Afro-Guyanese celebrations to mirror those of Indo-Guyanese as was done during the recent festival of lights.NCN appears to be stepping to the “left and dipping” in its policies.
Mail Trail...Speak your Mind
Mail Trail...A mail from a male who visited Guyana twice...
Your article and picture of visitors with the Water Street DemicoHouse in the background reminds me of the TWO visits made by my wife and I.
first with some trepidation in December 2003, since it was our first visitsince we married in Guyana in June 1963 - 40 years earlier, and again inSeptember 2005.
On both occasions we stayed with my sister-in-law in Croal Street, whoput herself and her family out for us, we walked about the city ofGeorgetown perfectly hapoily, despite the warnings about crime that we hadheard; we met a lot of very pleasant and friendly people who made us feelthat we HAD COME HOME and we even went for a boat trip up the Demerara fromLinden to visit my wife's old home.
The photograph (The Photograph was never sent) shows us and our boat behind us just after we had returnedto Linden. Yes there is crime in Guyana but there is far more where we are livingnow in England.
Thank you to all our Guyanaese family and friends for making our visitsso happy and welcoming.
Donald Robinson.
Email us your views and news at guyana360@gmail.com
Your article and picture of visitors with the Water Street DemicoHouse in the background reminds me of the TWO visits made by my wife and I.
first with some trepidation in December 2003, since it was our first visitsince we married in Guyana in June 1963 - 40 years earlier, and again inSeptember 2005.
On both occasions we stayed with my sister-in-law in Croal Street, whoput herself and her family out for us, we walked about the city ofGeorgetown perfectly hapoily, despite the warnings about crime that we hadheard; we met a lot of very pleasant and friendly people who made us feelthat we HAD COME HOME and we even went for a boat trip up the Demerara fromLinden to visit my wife's old home.
The photograph (The Photograph was never sent) shows us and our boat behind us just after we had returnedto Linden. Yes there is crime in Guyana but there is far more where we are livingnow in England.
Thank you to all our Guyanaese family and friends for making our visitsso happy and welcoming.
Donald Robinson.
Email us your views and news at guyana360@gmail.com
Fraud Alert...
Peter Fischer pfischer53@yahoo.co.uk
Oct 11
Dear Sir,
Please permit me to introduce myself to you. I am PETER FISCHER, AnAccountant in London, United Kingdom. I got your contact from theBritish Council, and I have decided to contact you so that we cancarry out this mutually beneficial business transaction.
My late Client (A National of your COUNTRY) until his death aboard anAERO FLIGHT 801 in 2001 deposited a total of USD$5.5M with THAMES BANK,UNITED KINGDOM.
He gave me the custody of the deposit documents, and as such entrustedme with the Legal Rights to transfer and execute this deposit to anyNext of Kin after his demise.
I have since tried to locate any Next ofKin without success, hence I decided to contact you so that you canrightfully stand as the next of kin to inherit the deposited sum byvirtue of the fact you share the same SURNAME as my late CLIENT.
I am writing you confidentialy because you will be able to claim thisDEPOSIT because you have the same SURNAME as my Late CLIENT.You will be entitled to 30% of the total sum should you be willing toassist me in this business transaction, 10% will be earmarked fortaxation expense and I will get the remaining 60%.I will prepare a formal agreement to guide us in this transaction foraccountability purpose as soon as I get a response from you.
Yours truly,
Peter Fischer42 Campshill Road, London United Kingdom.Tel: +44 701 112 8957Email: pfischer53@yahoo.co.uk
Guyana360: These F^&#ing, "bleep", people are just trying to get your email and/or computer IP address to send you junk mails. Guyanese be warned, do not fall prey for these get-rich-quick schemes, they are all fraud.
Guyana is hard but get rich schemes on the Internet are never true and you will never win a free car or mobile phone.
And just one way of proving these schemes are fraud. Mr. Peter Fisher says that his now dead client and Guyana 360 share the same surname. Unless his client's surname is 360, then its a BIG OLE' FRAUD.
Oct 11
Dear Sir,
Please permit me to introduce myself to you. I am PETER FISCHER, AnAccountant in London, United Kingdom. I got your contact from theBritish Council, and I have decided to contact you so that we cancarry out this mutually beneficial business transaction.
My late Client (A National of your COUNTRY) until his death aboard anAERO FLIGHT 801 in 2001 deposited a total of USD$5.5M with THAMES BANK,UNITED KINGDOM.
He gave me the custody of the deposit documents, and as such entrustedme with the Legal Rights to transfer and execute this deposit to anyNext of Kin after his demise.
I have since tried to locate any Next ofKin without success, hence I decided to contact you so that you canrightfully stand as the next of kin to inherit the deposited sum byvirtue of the fact you share the same SURNAME as my late CLIENT.
I am writing you confidentialy because you will be able to claim thisDEPOSIT because you have the same SURNAME as my Late CLIENT.You will be entitled to 30% of the total sum should you be willing toassist me in this business transaction, 10% will be earmarked fortaxation expense and I will get the remaining 60%.I will prepare a formal agreement to guide us in this transaction foraccountability purpose as soon as I get a response from you.
Yours truly,
Peter Fischer42 Campshill Road, London United Kingdom.Tel: +44 701 112 8957Email: pfischer53@yahoo.co.uk
Guyana360: These F^&#ing, "bleep", people are just trying to get your email and/or computer IP address to send you junk mails. Guyanese be warned, do not fall prey for these get-rich-quick schemes, they are all fraud.
Guyana is hard but get rich schemes on the Internet are never true and you will never win a free car or mobile phone.
And just one way of proving these schemes are fraud. Mr. Peter Fisher says that his now dead client and Guyana 360 share the same surname. Unless his client's surname is 360, then its a BIG OLE' FRAUD.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Minister of the Year...
If there is ever a Minister of the Year Award we would like to nominate the Hon. Robert Montgomery Persaud,(MBA) Minister of Agriculture. He seems to be doing more work than any other Minister. Or so it appears in the media. Take a look at some of the activties over the last few days that was reported in the press...
Monday October 9:
Government to ensure reactivation of drainage reserve at Providence
Sunday October 8:
Agriculture Minister meets Wakenaam rice farmers
Monday October 9:
Government to ensure reactivation of drainage reserve at Providence
Government will be taking steps to initiate action against persons occupying and utilising culverts, causing damage and blockage of drainage systems.
This is according to Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, other Crops and Livestock, Robert Persaud, who visited Providence, East Bank Demerara today, following reports from residents and the business community, of a blocked drainage reserve/trench.
Sunday October 8:
Agriculture Minister meets Wakenaam rice farmers
Same Sunday...
Agri Ministry threatens action for breach of Rice Factories Act
Rice millers and farmers can be prosecuted for agreeing to any condition that is not in adherence to the Rice Factories Act. This is according to a release from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Rice Factories Act states that ‘No person shall sell, purchase or receive paddy for the manufacture of rice except at a price calculated on a bag of 143 pounds net or such other weight as may be prescribed by the Minister by order.’
Saturday October 7:
CARICOM Agri. Ministers resuscitate Jagdeo Initiative
Governments of the Caribbean States have agreed that there is need for more focus to be placed on the constraints facing agriculture in the region. This is according to Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, who recently returned from the conference of Caribbean Agriculture Ministers, which was held in The Bahamas.
Guyanese Killed by Venezuela Army in Guyana waters
Guyana 360: When Venezuelan's could open fire in Guyana waters, then diplomacy must be a last resort.
But, when you face a monster in the likes of Hugo Chavez, diplomacy becomes the best viable option...Do we still support Venezuela for the temporary UN Secuity Council Seat?
Here is the full story as printed in today's KAIETEUR NEWS....
Venezuelan Coast Guard reportedly opened fire in Guyanese waters
Survivors of Friday's shooting incident at Eteringbang are alleging that Venezuelan Coast Guard ranks opened fire on their vessel while they were in Guyana waters.
Police have identified the victim as Paul Singh, a 35-year-old dredge operator, of El Dorado Village, West Coast Berbice.
Singh was shot in the region of the heart and on the left arm when the Venezuelan ranks shot at a Guyanese vessel that was travelling in the Cuyuni River.
According to statements received by local investigators, Singh and two other men had bought 25 drums of diesel fuel in Venezuela for their dredge, which is located in the Cuyuni backdam.
The party was returning to their camp via the Cuyuni River on Friday, when they were allegedly apprehended by ranks from the Venezuela Coast Guard.
One of the ranks remained to guard the crew while the others left.
Kaieteur News understands that after the other ranks had departed, the Guyanese crew decided to escape.
They resumed their journey, and had entered Guyanese waters when the Venezuelan Coast Guards, who had pursued the fleeing crew, opened fire, mortally wounding Singh.
The survivors were apparently allowed to continue on their journey, and they reported the incident to army ranks stationed at Eteringbang.
Police said that Singh's body has been transported out of the interior.
Efforts to reach senior army officials for a comment on the shooting were unsuccessful.
Dennis Chabrol again...Oh
The BBC writes...
For the second time in two years Dennis Chabrol has been elected President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) while Capitol News's Gordon Moseley was elected his vice-president at yesterday's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Chronicle Sports Club.
Chabrol, 40, got the nod from 24 out of the 48 eligible voters who attended the meeting. Moseley, who also contested that position, received 15 votes and NCN's Martin Goolsaran trailed with nine. The meeting was not without its controversy, as outgoing President Julia Johnson stated in her farewell speech that she would not support Chabrol for president which caused some concern for Chabrol's Guyana Media Uniters (GMU) which was contesting the presidency, vice-presidency, secretary, treasurer, assistant secretary and two committee member positions.
In the end the GMU took five of the seven positions on the executive. In addition to Chabrol who secured the presidency, Nigel Williams of the Stabroek News was elected secretary; Shonette Moore of News 2, assistant secretary; and Oluatoyin Alleyne and Neil Marks of the Stabroek News and the Guyana Chronicle respectively, committee members. The other two positions that had been contested by the GMU were the vice-presidency, which Moseley won after a coin was flipped when he and the GMU's Frank Wilson of Kaieteur News each received 24 votes; and the post of treasurer, won by Nazima Ragubir of Prime News who beat the GMU's Christopher Yaw of Stabroek News by one vote.
Others voted in as committee members were Enrico Woolford of Capitol News and Paul McAdam of the Evening News. The GMU had been campaigning weeks before the election and had garnered support from many media workers outside Georgetown who were unable to attend the meeting. The GMU had hoped that members could have voted for their absent supporters by way of proxy, however, all 18 of the proxy forms were rejected because they were not on a form issued by the GPA and they were not in the handwriting of the person who had issued them.
Chabrol, the new president, has been a media practitioner all his working life, having entered radio on a work-study attachment at the now defunct Guyana Broadcasting Corporation in 1984. He began his media career as an Audio Control Operator and later got involved in on-air, news and current affairs productions before leaving to work as Chief of the Caribbean News Agency's (CANA) (now the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) Bureaus in Georgetown and in Antigua for the Leeward Islands. Currently, he is the correspondent for Agence France Presse and one of the local contributors to the Caribbean Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Guyana 360: Congrats there Mr. Dennis and We look forward to a more vibrant media that will be more investigative and dish out more intellegent stories
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
A strange story
Who would have guessed that somewhere in Guyana, a television personality the likes of Mr. Gordon Moseley (one of the best reporters in the fraternity) would be mistaken for another or former media personality.
After appearing on the cover of GEM (Guyana’s Everything else but entertainment Magazine), the aspiring GPA President is mistaken for Duane Fowler (Where in the world is he though) a promising television anchor that loves to take gambles…Took too many gambles at too many media houses so he left.
But how could one natty down at Vizion Sound make such a slip-up?…Jah Rasta, de man “Fowl-up”
I guess Moseley is Fowler’s doppelganger though he may beg to differ…
After appearing on the cover of GEM (Guyana’s Everything else but entertainment Magazine), the aspiring GPA President is mistaken for Duane Fowler (Where in the world is he though) a promising television anchor that loves to take gambles…Took too many gambles at too many media houses so he left.
But how could one natty down at Vizion Sound make such a slip-up?…Jah Rasta, de man “Fowl-up”
I guess Moseley is Fowler’s doppelganger though he may beg to differ…
My heart bleeds
Who are these hooligans and why are they on our roads?…Why did they flee the accident scene? Guyanese need answers.
Something needs to be done to ensure that our roads are safer and it has to start with the police, the guardians of life and property. But first they need to clean up their internal act before they even budge to clean up the roads.
We urge that they stop selling bogus driver's licenses for $40,000...is that the price Guyanese must pay as the police get richer at the expense of innocent lives?
Ref: A friend of ours said her husband paid a police friend $40,000 and he was able to acquire his driver's license without taking a single test.
In Guyana any and everything is on sale... no wonder the Barbadian Chief Immigration Officer was so critical of our passport system.
Something needs to be done to ensure that our roads are safer and it has to start with the police, the guardians of life and property. But first they need to clean up their internal act before they even budge to clean up the roads.
We urge that they stop selling bogus driver's licenses for $40,000...is that the price Guyanese must pay as the police get richer at the expense of innocent lives?
Ref: A friend of ours said her husband paid a police friend $40,000 and he was able to acquire his driver's license without taking a single test.
In Guyana any and everything is on sale... no wonder the Barbadian Chief Immigration Officer was so critical of our passport system.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Kudos to Mike Charles!!!
Finally some good news...
Mike Charles, the GDF’s wonder pilot has done well with his new release, “Guyana Yours to Discover, Visit Guyana 2007 Edition” which showcases Guyana as a major tourist destination. Good work el Captain.
Here is what one of our fans, Vanita had to say...
First I want to say Bravo to Mike Charles Production for your work on putting that DVD together it was a job well done.
Secondly i am writing from Canada, and for me showing that DVD to friends that never visited Guyana before highlights the fact that Guyana is not that developed, as most of the highlights were on the Amerindians and their ways of life which is good. However having a DVD on the more conventional side of Guyana will be nice also.
Companies like Banks DIH, Chico , the Bauxite Mining, the light house, Coffee Monument etc i think these places will make for an interesting combination, i'm sure alot of our North American Family will appreciate the sentiment. Some of Guyana's resorts and water parks can also be a highlite. Before i close this email also i would like to say that i really enjoyed the songs played on the 2007 DVD.
Keep up the good work and God Bless Our Nation
Vnita
Canada !!!
Mike Charles, the GDF’s wonder pilot has done well with his new release, “Guyana Yours to Discover, Visit Guyana 2007 Edition” which showcases Guyana as a major tourist destination. Good work el Captain.
Here is what one of our fans, Vanita had to say...
First I want to say Bravo to Mike Charles Production for your work on putting that DVD together it was a job well done.
Secondly i am writing from Canada, and for me showing that DVD to friends that never visited Guyana before highlights the fact that Guyana is not that developed, as most of the highlights were on the Amerindians and their ways of life which is good. However having a DVD on the more conventional side of Guyana will be nice also.
Companies like Banks DIH, Chico , the Bauxite Mining, the light house, Coffee Monument etc i think these places will make for an interesting combination, i'm sure alot of our North American Family will appreciate the sentiment. Some of Guyana's resorts and water parks can also be a highlite. Before i close this email also i would like to say that i really enjoyed the songs played on the 2007 DVD.
Keep up the good work and God Bless Our Nation
Vnita
Canada !!!
Kudos for Mike Charles!!!
Finally some good news...
Mike Charles, the GDF’s wonder pilot has done well with his new release, “Guyana Yours to Discover, Visit Guyana 2007 Edition” which showcases Guyana as a major tourist destination. Good work el Captain.
Here is what one of our fans, Vanita had to say...
First I want to say Bravo to Mike Charles Production for your work on putting that DVD together it was a job well done.
Secondly i am writing from Canada, and for me showing that DVD to friends that never visited Guyana before highlights the fact that Guyana is not that developed, as most of the highlights were on the Amerindians and their ways of life which is good. However having a DVD on the more conventional side of Guyana will be nice also.
Companies like Banks DIH, Chico , the Bauxite Mining, the light house, Coffee Monument etc i think these places will make for an interesting combination, i'm sure alot of our North American Family will appreciate the sentiment. Some of Guyana's resorts and water parks can also be a highlite. Before i close this email also i would like to say that i really enjoyed the songs played on the 2007 DVD.
Keep up the good work and God Bless Our Nation
Vnita
Canada !!!
Mike Charles, the GDF’s wonder pilot has done well with his new release, “Guyana Yours to Discover, Visit Guyana 2007 Edition” which showcases Guyana as a major tourist destination. Good work el Captain.
Here is what one of our fans, Vanita had to say...
First I want to say Bravo to Mike Charles Production for your work on putting that DVD together it was a job well done.
Secondly i am writing from Canada, and for me showing that DVD to friends that never visited Guyana before highlights the fact that Guyana is not that developed, as most of the highlights were on the Amerindians and their ways of life which is good. However having a DVD on the more conventional side of Guyana will be nice also.
Companies like Banks DIH, Chico , the Bauxite Mining, the light house, Coffee Monument etc i think these places will make for an interesting combination, i'm sure alot of our North American Family will appreciate the sentiment. Some of Guyana's resorts and water parks can also be a highlite. Before i close this email also i would like to say that i really enjoyed the songs played on the 2007 DVD.
Keep up the good work and God Bless Our Nation
Vnita
Canada !!!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Kerick the Bugger
Is this the same person that Mr. President wants to hire?
Not sure but this is a man called Bernard Kerick, a former NYC city Police Commissioner heading the force during the turbulent 9-11 bombings…Here is what the Foreign press has been saying lately of him, Click the highlighted words below...
Mr. Kerick is at it again
Guyana360:
Mr. Kerick is a Bugger, (Please don’t add or subtract any letters to the word) the same man that Mr. President is keen on hiring. So let’s have a Bugger reformer the Guyana Police Force and have a host of Buggers walking the streets. You know, how about a force full of Buggers?
Recently we have been rocked by the tapping of the phone line of Commissioner of Police Winston Felix. The Question is: was Kerick involved? He has admitted to accepting gifts from companies known to be involved in illigal activities.
Not sure but this is a man called Bernard Kerick, a former NYC city Police Commissioner heading the force during the turbulent 9-11 bombings…Here is what the Foreign press has been saying lately of him, Click the highlighted words below...
Mr. Kerick is at it again
Guyana360:
Mr. Kerick is a Bugger, (Please don’t add or subtract any letters to the word) the same man that Mr. President is keen on hiring. So let’s have a Bugger reformer the Guyana Police Force and have a host of Buggers walking the streets. You know, how about a force full of Buggers?
Recently we have been rocked by the tapping of the phone line of Commissioner of Police Winston Felix. The Question is: was Kerick involved? He has admitted to accepting gifts from companies known to be involved in illigal activities.
International Presidential Disrespect...
Saturday night was International Bar at the Thirst Park Ground but, there was nothing International there for as far as we could see. Guyana has its own cultural identity but it is being trampled upon and bypassed for more vulgar Caribbean and North American customs.
The event hosted by the Rotary Club should have been called Guyana Bar since Guyana being a multi-racial society represents many of the so-called products that were on sale.
The only addition was the Brazilian stall with those Brazilian girls with their sexy Spanish twang. Just hope they are not working a second job as strippers because the police will take them before the court once they are caught.
The night was dull, the performance was static and boring and the host, Mr. Mondale Smith seems to have lost his elegance and jovial style.
Mr. President was in attendance, so too was his close friend (just ask the people over the Demerara River) and Minister of Tourism Manniram Persaud. They were joined by Odinga and several body guards…quite frankly the entire entourage looked worn-out.
The President just stood there as if he was glued to the ground, any move and a sharp shooter would have had him in his grasp.
The fact that a dance group danced to a tune called: “Duty Wine” which incorporated several expletives (too much to repeat here) at earshot distance to numerous children did not even make the President and his team budge.
The Passa Passa dancers trilled the crowd and the host for the night seems to have taken a liking to the Passa Passa craze. Just to let him know the words in Jamaican dialect means to gather and not talk name as he alluded.
Passa Passa must go and the President had a first hand view and hearing of what this Passa Passa craze has done to Guyana.
Enough of it! The President should have felt disrespected when that Dutty wine song was played and should have left the event. It’s a pity that he stayed and supported the event despite the expletives that were belted out over the Thirst Park plains.
Except for a sprinkle of “Chinee” food that tasted like creolese cuisine and a few Coors Beer that could never stand the test with the locally produced Banks Beer, the International Bar could only be described as a money making deceitful show.
I recalled standing for an hour to buy one Banks Beer, having to wait just five minutes to buy a Carib Beer for a close friend and having to wait for a mere minute to buy an American beer.
All of this means something that the organizers must take on board for next year’s International Bar.
Lets have more local products and dub the event, “Guyana Bar” and ban that Jamaican Passa Passa nonsense.
The event hosted by the Rotary Club should have been called Guyana Bar since Guyana being a multi-racial society represents many of the so-called products that were on sale.
The only addition was the Brazilian stall with those Brazilian girls with their sexy Spanish twang. Just hope they are not working a second job as strippers because the police will take them before the court once they are caught.
The night was dull, the performance was static and boring and the host, Mr. Mondale Smith seems to have lost his elegance and jovial style.
Mr. President was in attendance, so too was his close friend (just ask the people over the Demerara River) and Minister of Tourism Manniram Persaud. They were joined by Odinga and several body guards…quite frankly the entire entourage looked worn-out.
The President just stood there as if he was glued to the ground, any move and a sharp shooter would have had him in his grasp.
The fact that a dance group danced to a tune called: “Duty Wine” which incorporated several expletives (too much to repeat here) at earshot distance to numerous children did not even make the President and his team budge.
The Passa Passa dancers trilled the crowd and the host for the night seems to have taken a liking to the Passa Passa craze. Just to let him know the words in Jamaican dialect means to gather and not talk name as he alluded.
Passa Passa must go and the President had a first hand view and hearing of what this Passa Passa craze has done to Guyana.
Enough of it! The President should have felt disrespected when that Dutty wine song was played and should have left the event. It’s a pity that he stayed and supported the event despite the expletives that were belted out over the Thirst Park plains.
Except for a sprinkle of “Chinee” food that tasted like creolese cuisine and a few Coors Beer that could never stand the test with the locally produced Banks Beer, the International Bar could only be described as a money making deceitful show.
I recalled standing for an hour to buy one Banks Beer, having to wait just five minutes to buy a Carib Beer for a close friend and having to wait for a mere minute to buy an American beer.
All of this means something that the organizers must take on board for next year’s International Bar.
Lets have more local products and dub the event, “Guyana Bar” and ban that Jamaican Passa Passa nonsense.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The beacon @ the Demerara Light House...
The so called beacon of truth’s character is revealed through the shady light that beamed from the Demerara Light House.
At first glance you think well, these fellows are sharp and can draw on contacts at will.
Well we are sorry to bust their bag and roll out their hidden secret. (or shed light) Let us warn before they formulate any of their balderdash. Self praise is no commendation.
But let us not say more before we create a higgledy-piggledy situation on the Internet. Just observe the highlighted name that can be found in the following text taken from the Demerara Light House blog (Presently the Demerara Black out. They have not posted since August. We guess running multiple blogs is difficult). It should shed some light as to who is the mastermind behind the blog.
DEMERARA LIGHT HOUSE BLOG…
“Over the years,
Imran Khan seems to be the most outstanding journalist that this country has produced in recent times. He is bold, honest and is one of the few journalists with a vision. Many of the above-mentioned journalists should listen to Imran Khan because he has the solution to make the GPA what it ought to be!!!”
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Guyana-Barbados Immigration row
Barbados catch Guyana off guard with a vicious bouncer. Now the local immigation authorites are unsettled and jumpy.
We just want to add our bit to the ongoing, never ending debate. The fact remains that Guyana's economy continues to force many to flee by what ever means necessary.
If you don't believe, there is a film that was recetly given the red carpet treatment right here in Georgetown. It was a grand opening at the Strand.
But many of the movie critics failed to depict one of the central themes in Rainbow Raani.
The film apart from its romatic scenes, shows just how desperate Guyanese are to taste the big apple, the city of New York.
Its sad, but as President Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out after the deportation of some 35 Guyanese from Barbados (again), it is Guyanese who are creating the impression that they are begging to enter foreign countries. And he is right. This does not mean that Guyanese must be treated with scant regard. Even ET was welcomed on a foreign planet. Why must Guyanese be treated as refugees?
The President and his men must know by now that peace and diplomacy is just a metaphoric phrase (Just ask the U.S. what they said to the Pakistani President behind closed doors after 9/11) and definitive action is what needs to be taken. Forget the silly notion of free movement and that foolish Caribbean Single Market.
The President must give instructions for Immigration Officers at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to turn back a few Bajans and see how they like it.
Was there ever an apology from Barbados about the treatment dished out to those 35 Guyanese who travelling to be part of Crop Over, but who only stayed over until the next available flight to Guyana after they had landed?
Instead of an apology, the Barbados authrorties are now seeking to weaken the morale of the Immigration authorities here by stating that they are involved in the issuance of bogus travel documents and play part in a scam that see Guyanese deported from Barbados returning with documents bearing different names.
And the Guyanese as usual are very defensive...This is what they had to say as the Barbados-Guyana Immigration row flares-up again...
"The Guyana Police Force is concerned over statements attributed to the Barbadian Chief Immigration Officer in relation to Guyanese nationals travelling to Barbados , being found in possession of illegal passports, especially at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
It is unfortunate that the Barbadian Chief Immigration Officer was unable to provide us with some specifics. However, the Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Senior Superintendent George Vyphuis, will be making contact with him to obtain further information on the issue.
There is enough evidence to support the fact that many Guyanese nationals attempting to get to foreign countries through the backtrack, leave Guyana with bona fide travel documents, but use false documents obtained from the backtracking source on arrival in the intended country. In most cases the false documents are not Guyanese passports.
Between January 2005 and September 20, 2006 a total of 337 persons were sent back to Guyana . Of this number 24 were for being in possession of false documents. Two (2) persons were deported twice during this period having been found with false documents in Barbados .
Of the 24 stated, fourteen (14) persons had left the Guyana legally with proper Guyanese travel documents, but presented false documents of other countries on arrival in Barbados . Five (5) travelled on false ICTDs while four (4) travelled on false passports, two of which were stolen from the Immigration Office. The other deportee left illegally by boat without any travel document.
For the period reviewed, a total of thirty eight (38) persons were caught by Immigration Officers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport attempting to leave the country using false travel documents. They were all charged and placed before the courts."
We just want to add our bit to the ongoing, never ending debate. The fact remains that Guyana's economy continues to force many to flee by what ever means necessary.
If you don't believe, there is a film that was recetly given the red carpet treatment right here in Georgetown. It was a grand opening at the Strand.
But many of the movie critics failed to depict one of the central themes in Rainbow Raani.
The film apart from its romatic scenes, shows just how desperate Guyanese are to taste the big apple, the city of New York.
Its sad, but as President Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out after the deportation of some 35 Guyanese from Barbados (again), it is Guyanese who are creating the impression that they are begging to enter foreign countries. And he is right. This does not mean that Guyanese must be treated with scant regard. Even ET was welcomed on a foreign planet. Why must Guyanese be treated as refugees?
The President and his men must know by now that peace and diplomacy is just a metaphoric phrase (Just ask the U.S. what they said to the Pakistani President behind closed doors after 9/11) and definitive action is what needs to be taken. Forget the silly notion of free movement and that foolish Caribbean Single Market.
The President must give instructions for Immigration Officers at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to turn back a few Bajans and see how they like it.
Was there ever an apology from Barbados about the treatment dished out to those 35 Guyanese who travelling to be part of Crop Over, but who only stayed over until the next available flight to Guyana after they had landed?
Instead of an apology, the Barbados authrorties are now seeking to weaken the morale of the Immigration authorities here by stating that they are involved in the issuance of bogus travel documents and play part in a scam that see Guyanese deported from Barbados returning with documents bearing different names.
And the Guyanese as usual are very defensive...This is what they had to say as the Barbados-Guyana Immigration row flares-up again...
"The Guyana Police Force is concerned over statements attributed to the Barbadian Chief Immigration Officer in relation to Guyanese nationals travelling to Barbados , being found in possession of illegal passports, especially at the Grantley Adams International Airport.
It is unfortunate that the Barbadian Chief Immigration Officer was unable to provide us with some specifics. However, the Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Senior Superintendent George Vyphuis, will be making contact with him to obtain further information on the issue.
There is enough evidence to support the fact that many Guyanese nationals attempting to get to foreign countries through the backtrack, leave Guyana with bona fide travel documents, but use false documents obtained from the backtracking source on arrival in the intended country. In most cases the false documents are not Guyanese passports.
Between January 2005 and September 20, 2006 a total of 337 persons were sent back to Guyana . Of this number 24 were for being in possession of false documents. Two (2) persons were deported twice during this period having been found with false documents in Barbados .
Of the 24 stated, fourteen (14) persons had left the Guyana legally with proper Guyanese travel documents, but presented false documents of other countries on arrival in Barbados . Five (5) travelled on false ICTDs while four (4) travelled on false passports, two of which were stolen from the Immigration Office. The other deportee left illegally by boat without any travel document.
For the period reviewed, a total of thirty eight (38) persons were caught by Immigration Officers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport attempting to leave the country using false travel documents. They were all charged and placed before the courts."
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Stabroek Goes Nude!!!
Phew...
We could not belive our eyes when we say it, yes we did see it in Stabroek News' The Scene. It was quite a scene to see these young models modelling, ouch!!!
CHECK THIS OUT from The Scene: Email us with your responses
We could not belive our eyes when we say it, yes we did see it in Stabroek News' The Scene. It was quite a scene to see these young models modelling, ouch!!!
CHECK THIS OUT from The Scene: Email us with your responses
GINA always
Guyana’s folklore amazes Carifesta IX
GINA, September 23, 2006
Led by Minister within the Ministry of Education Dr. Desrey Fox, the Guyana contingent boldly entered the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago along with counterparts from around the Caribbean for the opening ceremony of Carifesta IX.
The stadium was packed to capacity as persons from around the Caribbean and other parts of the world came to witness the festival and cheer their fellow country men and women.
Guyana 360:
We just cannot understand these GINA staffers, stating that the stadium was packed to capacity. But the proof of the pie is in the puding.
In this case the proof is in the pic...look at the stands see how they are filled? GINA reporters seeing people the way the tourism people seeing tourists...Never mind the false report by GINA. big up Guyana for taking part in Carifesta despite the rumors that some of the funds were embezzled, the team which included the Baccoo from Kaieteur News in the Twin-Island Republic...
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Tired a de accusations of police brutality
The time has come for Guyanese who have been locked up; who have been abused while in the so-called ‘protective custody of the state’ to step into the clear light of day and name the men and women who hurt them while they were in the so-called ‘protective custody of the state’.
Through the medium of these feeble words is that the time has come for Guyanese to craft a mirror that would tell them the truth concerning who they really are.
The time has surely come for victims and victimizers to come together and reason about their sins and crimes against each other, to ask God’s forgiveness.
I am talking about a process where Guyanese will seek truth, speak truth and do what is right. Once they do so, things will be just all right.
Truth matters.
Reconciliation matters.
Justice matters.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Seemingly a nice Minister
Priya Manickchand is one of the new faces in President Bharrat Jagdeo's Cabinet. What she does during these five years ahead will either make or break her.
PROFILE OF PRIYA DEVI MANICKCHAND
PARENTS: Krishendat Manickchand, Rice Farmer
Hyacinth Manickchand, Retired Headmistress
SIBLINGS: Anil Manickchand
Jaya Manickchand
EDUCATION: STELLA MARIS PRIMARY
1981-1987
QUEEN’S COLLEGE
1987-1992 (CXC SCIENCE STREAM)
U.G 1992-1997-L.L.B
HUGH WOODING LAW SCHOOL L.E.C
1998-2000
ADMISSION TO THE BAR IN GUYANA -October 10, 2000.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
Associate Attorney at Khemraj Ramjattan & Associates.
September 2000- February, 2002.
PRIVATE PRACTICE:
February 2002 to present.
Senior Supervising Attorney
Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic.
January 2004-October 2005.
Senior Attorney, Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic
October 2005 to present.
CHURCH
Member of Burn’s Memorial Presbyterian Church.
EXTRA CURRICULAR:
Executive Member , Guyana Bar Association 2002-2005.
Executive Member , Guyana Association of Women Lawyers 2002-2005.
Member , Guyana Medical Council 2002-2006.
Member, Board of Directors
Omai Bauxite Mining Industries O.B.M.I
2005 to Present
President , National Youth Council
Guyana Presbyterian Church
1997-1998
Director, Board of Directors
Guyana Rice Producers Association
2003-2004
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Guyana's "A" Team!!! Maybe not
Guyana's "A" Team is now ready to face their first battle, be warned indicments are preparing to roll into Guyana...Bam, Bam, trouble is coming...
One major question, why is Rohee at the Home Affairs Ministry, when he was in Visa trouble before. The U.S. Canadian and British must be fuming mad. This Five years will be teh most controversial.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and his Cabinet Ministers
GINA writes...
The 19 appointees to President Bharrat Jagdeo’s Cabinet today took the Oath of Office, pledging their allegiance to the people of Guyana as they execute the functions of their respective offices, while the Head of State charged them to lead by example.
“If we want our country to achieve certain standards, we are the ones who have to set the example. And I will be requiring that of every Minister that we ensure that the standards in our performance are kept at the highest level so that we can inspire others to join with us in this exciting task,” the President said while delivering brief remark at the swearing-in ceremony at State House, Georgetown.
The Cabinet was selected mainly from the List of Candidates submitted to the electorate by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and included some technocrat Ministers. The Constitution has a provision for four technocrats.
One major question, why is Rohee at the Home Affairs Ministry, when he was in Visa trouble before. The U.S. Canadian and British must be fuming mad. This Five years will be teh most controversial.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and his Cabinet Ministers
GINA writes...
The 19 appointees to President Bharrat Jagdeo’s Cabinet today took the Oath of Office, pledging their allegiance to the people of Guyana as they execute the functions of their respective offices, while the Head of State charged them to lead by example.
“If we want our country to achieve certain standards, we are the ones who have to set the example. And I will be requiring that of every Minister that we ensure that the standards in our performance are kept at the highest level so that we can inspire others to join with us in this exciting task,” the President said while delivering brief remark at the swearing-in ceremony at State House, Georgetown.
The Cabinet was selected mainly from the List of Candidates submitted to the electorate by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and included some technocrat Ministers. The Constitution has a provision for four technocrats.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Presidential Blunder or...
Newly elected President Bharrat Jagdeo is a one-man army, even though he has an attractive wife in Varshnie.
The two wedded at the biddings of the PPP/C but something is wrong about the union.
On his biggest day, the day that he took the Oath of Office, the Guyanese leader arrived alone, while his wife sat in front row with the invited guests.
At the end of his speech, he thanked a bunch of people, including his sisters-one name Chinee.
But something hit home when we waited in vain to hear him say thank you to his wife...
The President of Guyana operated like he hasn't a wife.
Poor gal...she looked so vexed about it and judging from the squints on her face, a wishful thought may have crossed her mind.
Judging from information, the two are at odds and the President used the occassion to score some points.
Did he had to drag his bedroom business in public?
Where is the media when there is a good story to chew on?
The two wedded at the biddings of the PPP/C but something is wrong about the union.
On his biggest day, the day that he took the Oath of Office, the Guyanese leader arrived alone, while his wife sat in front row with the invited guests.
At the end of his speech, he thanked a bunch of people, including his sisters-one name Chinee.
But something hit home when we waited in vain to hear him say thank you to his wife...
The President of Guyana operated like he hasn't a wife.
Poor gal...she looked so vexed about it and judging from the squints on her face, a wishful thought may have crossed her mind.
Judging from information, the two are at odds and the President used the occassion to score some points.
Did he had to drag his bedroom business in public?
Where is the media when there is a good story to chew on?
No war Rasta
Whether you are Living in Guyana or simplyLivinGuyana, there is no need to fight rasta, Ah we sey suh because we want clean rasta levity.
Wan Jamtown song, which we have adopted as our theme in life, go sum like dis...
“Bare love we ah deal with forever. Forever and ever.”
If you Living in Guyana but always never in Guyana or merely LivinGuyana when cricket deh here, we still believe in love rasta.
Wan Jamtown song, which we have adopted as our theme in life, go sum like dis...
“Bare love we ah deal with forever. Forever and ever.”
If you Living in Guyana but always never in Guyana or merely LivinGuyana when cricket deh here, we still believe in love rasta.
Ministerial View
Ministers Booted…
Kaieteur News of Sunday September 3, 2006 states…
Major changes in new Cabinet
There will be a major change in the new Cabinet with at least four prominent former Ministers making way for new faces. Insiders say that former Ministers in the Social Services Ministry, Dr Dale Bisnauth andAttorney-at-Law Bibi Shadick are to be replaced. Also to be replaced are former Finance Minister Sasenarain Kowlessar, former Attorney General Doodnauth Singh,and Sports Minister Anthony Xavier.
Mr Doodnauth Singh is demitting office for reasons of health as would be former Agriculture Minister ReepuDaman Persaud. The insider did not disclose who would replace the outgoing former Ministers but he promised surprises.
He said that former Home Affairs Minister GailTeixeira is also likely to be removed and assigned adiplomatic posting. To date, the only person named to the Cabinet is Carolyn Rodrigues who has been re-confirmed as Minister for Amerindian Affairs.
Some of the names mentioned to replace some of the outgoing were Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram and businessman Gerry Gouveia. But sources close to these men say that Ram refused the offer of the post of Finance Minister while Gouveia declined any Cabinet offer on the grounds of his business interests. The government has until Thursday to name its Cabinet and the other members of Parliament since on that day the new Parliament is supposed to be convened.
A source close to Public Buildings said that the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs is standing by to swear in the Speaker, who is likely to be attorney-at-law Hari Ralph Ramkarran. Ramkarran was the speaker when Parliament was dissolved on May 3, last.
The other Members of Parliament are likely to be sworn en bloc before President Bharrat Jagdeo addresses the inaugural sitting. Parliament exists whenever the President is present. In the absence of the President the body is theNational Assembly, commonly called the House.
Guyana360: To all those Ministers that will be kickedout of Government, we say GOOD RIDDANCE!!! Who are the new faces? We anticipate, Robert Persaud as the head of a re-instituted Ministry of Information. MosesNagamotoo, who recently returned to the PPP/C fold is a force to be recon with, but where will they place him. Heard Steve Ninvalle is likely to pick up as the Sports Minister…Not bad at all but we just hope that the same gratitude extended to Ninvalle for joining,will not be bestowed on Natasha Waldron…Poor choice to begin with as a Candidate on any party list. We know that she might be given a Permanent Secretary posting. If she is back at NCN after the Cabinet announcement, it should snap her back to reality, that she will onlybe an anchor and assistant editor doing the Government’s bidding.
Sweet gal, but she is a bit screwed-up in some areas.
Kaieteur News of Sunday September 3, 2006 states…
Major changes in new Cabinet
There will be a major change in the new Cabinet with at least four prominent former Ministers making way for new faces. Insiders say that former Ministers in the Social Services Ministry, Dr Dale Bisnauth andAttorney-at-Law Bibi Shadick are to be replaced. Also to be replaced are former Finance Minister Sasenarain Kowlessar, former Attorney General Doodnauth Singh,and Sports Minister Anthony Xavier.
Mr Doodnauth Singh is demitting office for reasons of health as would be former Agriculture Minister ReepuDaman Persaud. The insider did not disclose who would replace the outgoing former Ministers but he promised surprises.
He said that former Home Affairs Minister GailTeixeira is also likely to be removed and assigned adiplomatic posting. To date, the only person named to the Cabinet is Carolyn Rodrigues who has been re-confirmed as Minister for Amerindian Affairs.
Some of the names mentioned to replace some of the outgoing were Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram and businessman Gerry Gouveia. But sources close to these men say that Ram refused the offer of the post of Finance Minister while Gouveia declined any Cabinet offer on the grounds of his business interests. The government has until Thursday to name its Cabinet and the other members of Parliament since on that day the new Parliament is supposed to be convened.
A source close to Public Buildings said that the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs is standing by to swear in the Speaker, who is likely to be attorney-at-law Hari Ralph Ramkarran. Ramkarran was the speaker when Parliament was dissolved on May 3, last.
The other Members of Parliament are likely to be sworn en bloc before President Bharrat Jagdeo addresses the inaugural sitting. Parliament exists whenever the President is present. In the absence of the President the body is theNational Assembly, commonly called the House.
Guyana360: To all those Ministers that will be kickedout of Government, we say GOOD RIDDANCE!!! Who are the new faces? We anticipate, Robert Persaud as the head of a re-instituted Ministry of Information. MosesNagamotoo, who recently returned to the PPP/C fold is a force to be recon with, but where will they place him. Heard Steve Ninvalle is likely to pick up as the Sports Minister…Not bad at all but we just hope that the same gratitude extended to Ninvalle for joining,will not be bestowed on Natasha Waldron…Poor choice to begin with as a Candidate on any party list. We know that she might be given a Permanent Secretary posting. If she is back at NCN after the Cabinet announcement, it should snap her back to reality, that she will onlybe an anchor and assistant editor doing the Government’s bidding.
Sweet gal, but she is a bit screwed-up in some areas.
Presidential View
The elegance that accompanied the swearing-in ofPresident Bharrat Jagdeo has died its natural deathand its time for the President to step-up to the plateand prove that he is worth more than a pound of salt. While we applaud the PPP/C victory, we at Guyana360 most certainly hope that the trepidation that accompanied these polls would soon die its natural death too.
We must admit and must apologise to our many fans and supporters, but we were caught-up in the franticscamper to find the seemingly elusive peace at elections time. We followed the happenings through the print media,even though the Kaieteur News website is the last to be updated on any given day, despite the publisher’s promise posted on the site to bring the news as it unfolds. Guess nothing much unfolds in Guyana.
Youthful President Jagdeo was most impressive on the campaign trail, often pushing the limits with his sarcastic yet mind boggling statements as he blazed an unmatched campaign trail. Who could forget Ramjattan and the AFC with they cock-eye polices and stage?
He was all alone as no other candidate dared to go the aggressive route. Perhaps, at least in our estimation, President Jagdeo won the hearts of the electorate and judging from the relative calm that has suddenly fallen on Guyana, he may have won the hearths of the Opposition too.
His flamboyance and unmatched élan sets him apart from all other Presidents before him. He has laid thefoundation that could see him becoming the greatestPresident to have served this wonderful country. In his second and last term as President, he should jerk the reins of governance and put Guyana first.
The2006 landslide triumph was not as a result of thePPP/C doing, it was a Bharrat Jagdeo win. That should give him some buoyancy because we certainly believe that had he not been there, the PPP/C would have lost its Parliamentary majority.
He has in the past surrounded himself with some incompetent Government Ministers, that have failed to provide proper management of the country’s affairs and in so doing they have failed to provide effective advice to the President.
We love the Prospects of a major Cabinet reshuffle…more info on that later. But the President has kick-started his 2nd term in apositive way by promising to include the Opposition in his planning for the country. Kudos!!!
We must admit and must apologise to our many fans and supporters, but we were caught-up in the franticscamper to find the seemingly elusive peace at elections time. We followed the happenings through the print media,even though the Kaieteur News website is the last to be updated on any given day, despite the publisher’s promise posted on the site to bring the news as it unfolds. Guess nothing much unfolds in Guyana.
Youthful President Jagdeo was most impressive on the campaign trail, often pushing the limits with his sarcastic yet mind boggling statements as he blazed an unmatched campaign trail. Who could forget Ramjattan and the AFC with they cock-eye polices and stage?
He was all alone as no other candidate dared to go the aggressive route. Perhaps, at least in our estimation, President Jagdeo won the hearts of the electorate and judging from the relative calm that has suddenly fallen on Guyana, he may have won the hearths of the Opposition too.
His flamboyance and unmatched élan sets him apart from all other Presidents before him. He has laid thefoundation that could see him becoming the greatestPresident to have served this wonderful country. In his second and last term as President, he should jerk the reins of governance and put Guyana first.
The2006 landslide triumph was not as a result of thePPP/C doing, it was a Bharrat Jagdeo win. That should give him some buoyancy because we certainly believe that had he not been there, the PPP/C would have lost its Parliamentary majority.
He has in the past surrounded himself with some incompetent Government Ministers, that have failed to provide proper management of the country’s affairs and in so doing they have failed to provide effective advice to the President.
We love the Prospects of a major Cabinet reshuffle…more info on that later. But the President has kick-started his 2nd term in apositive way by promising to include the Opposition in his planning for the country. Kudos!!!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
In this "Case" he is wrong
The man picked to lead the PNCR-1G (every election they form new alliances, but they never win) response to crime, Hamley Case, belives that the reform of the Guyana Police Force alluded to by the President is seven years late. That analysis does not drive home the human side of the coin.
Guyana360 belives that the reform is late by 100,000 gun-related robberies, 10,000 gun-related murders, which includes a sitting Minister of the Government, 5,000 police encounters with bandits who manage to escape, 10,000 cases where high profile drug pushers roam free, 20,000 casses where criminals and drug runners get less time than a man who is caught stealing magoes from his neighbour, 500,000 pettey robberies and 1,000, 0000 traumatised Guyanese.
Guyana360 belives that the reform is late by 100,000 gun-related robberies, 10,000 gun-related murders, which includes a sitting Minister of the Government, 5,000 police encounters with bandits who manage to escape, 10,000 cases where high profile drug pushers roam free, 20,000 casses where criminals and drug runners get less time than a man who is caught stealing magoes from his neighbour, 500,000 pettey robberies and 1,000, 0000 traumatised Guyanese.
The Degeneration of the Guyanese Society
Guyana 360: After reading this story out of the twin island respublic of T&T, is this a Guyana you want, where the gate keepers of truth carry guns in the execution of their duties. Reporters are liken unto pastors. Could you imagine a pastor preaching from the pulpit with a 9 mm in his waist? It is truly a sad state of affairs in Guyana.
TT Newsday writer COREY CONNELLY writes:
Guyana’s acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene is attempting to fast-track gun licences for reporters employed at Kaieteur News, the newspaper’s publisher Glen Lall says.
“I spoke to the acting commissioner and he’s trying to see what could happen. He is even talking to a government official to see how quick he could get it,” Lall said in a telephone interview, yesterday.
Lall had called for gun licences to be issued to journalists after Tuesday night’s incident in which gunmen stormed the Kaieteur News printing department and shot six employees, four of them fatally.
He said crime reporters were the fittest ones to receive guns since they often had to go to crime scenes during the early hours of the morning.
“They are able and competent and work 24 hours a day, unlike police,” Lall said.
The shooting, which has rattled Guyana, came amid sporadic gang-related violence in the run-up to the country’s general election.
The election is due to take place in two weeks.
Lall, who was robbed, tortured and beaten at his home in 1989, said he had subsequently been granted a licensed firearm for protection.
“That experience has built me into the type of man I am today. But, it still did not prepare me for what my staff is going through. They are really, really scared,” he said.
Lall said he was unsure about the criteria for acquiring a licenced firearm.
“When you look at some of the people that have firearms, it seems that once you have a friend you could get through,” he said.
“There are so many guns on the street and there are some business people who are being told that they are getting a hard time.”
Despite the tragedy, Lall vowed that the 12-year-old newspaper—Guyana’s leading daily—will survive.
“Life has to go on, whether Lall is there or not,” he said.
“We have changed the landscape where presenting the news is concerned and we will continue to practise aggressive journalism.”
TT Newsday writer COREY CONNELLY writes:
Guyana’s acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene is attempting to fast-track gun licences for reporters employed at Kaieteur News, the newspaper’s publisher Glen Lall says.
“I spoke to the acting commissioner and he’s trying to see what could happen. He is even talking to a government official to see how quick he could get it,” Lall said in a telephone interview, yesterday.
Lall had called for gun licences to be issued to journalists after Tuesday night’s incident in which gunmen stormed the Kaieteur News printing department and shot six employees, four of them fatally.
He said crime reporters were the fittest ones to receive guns since they often had to go to crime scenes during the early hours of the morning.
“They are able and competent and work 24 hours a day, unlike police,” Lall said.
The shooting, which has rattled Guyana, came amid sporadic gang-related violence in the run-up to the country’s general election.
The election is due to take place in two weeks.
Lall, who was robbed, tortured and beaten at his home in 1989, said he had subsequently been granted a licensed firearm for protection.
“That experience has built me into the type of man I am today. But, it still did not prepare me for what my staff is going through. They are really, really scared,” he said.
Lall said he was unsure about the criteria for acquiring a licenced firearm.
“When you look at some of the people that have firearms, it seems that once you have a friend you could get through,” he said.
“There are so many guns on the street and there are some business people who are being told that they are getting a hard time.”
Despite the tragedy, Lall vowed that the 12-year-old newspaper—Guyana’s leading daily—will survive.
“Life has to go on, whether Lall is there or not,” he said.
“We have changed the landscape where presenting the news is concerned and we will continue to practise aggressive journalism.”
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Who is Kerick "Da Former NY Top Cop"
Who is he and why is he here...We'll keep you posted.
Former Commissioner of Police of New York, Bernard Kerik is seen here having a light chat with President Bharrat Jagdeo
Former Commissioner of Police of New York, Bernard Kerik is seen here having a light chat with President Bharrat Jagdeo
Life in the Wild, Wild West
As if the Tuesday night killing were not enough...
About 11:15h. Friday August 11, 2006, a group of approximately fifteen (15) heavily armed men attacked and robbed the Republic Bank and the Demerara Bank at Rosehall, Corentyne, Berbice.
Investigations revealed that the men approached both Banks simultaneously, discharging shots indiscriminately as they did so. They entered the Banks, held the staff and customers at gunpoint and forced the two Managers to open the vaults, which were both emptied of their contents.
A customer at the Republic Bank, Surujdai Virasammi, 39 years, who had just withdrawn money from the Bank was robbed of $10,000.00 and shot in her back in the process. She was admitted a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
The armed men escaped in various directions using motor vehicles which they hijacked outside of the Banks, and taking away the CCTV recorder from the Republic Bank in the process. Two motor vehicles were later recovered in the Rosehall Backdam.
At the time of this release, members of the Joint Services were hotly pursuing a number of men from the armed gang in the Rosehall Backlands.
It is not yet known what losses the Banks suffered.
A number of 7.62 spent shells and two live rounds have been recovered from the scene by the police.
I. Whittaker
Assistant Commissioner
Public Relations & Press Officer
About 11:15h. Friday August 11, 2006, a group of approximately fifteen (15) heavily armed men attacked and robbed the Republic Bank and the Demerara Bank at Rosehall, Corentyne, Berbice.
Investigations revealed that the men approached both Banks simultaneously, discharging shots indiscriminately as they did so. They entered the Banks, held the staff and customers at gunpoint and forced the two Managers to open the vaults, which were both emptied of their contents.
A customer at the Republic Bank, Surujdai Virasammi, 39 years, who had just withdrawn money from the Bank was robbed of $10,000.00 and shot in her back in the process. She was admitted a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
The armed men escaped in various directions using motor vehicles which they hijacked outside of the Banks, and taking away the CCTV recorder from the Republic Bank in the process. Two motor vehicles were later recovered in the Rosehall Backdam.
At the time of this release, members of the Joint Services were hotly pursuing a number of men from the armed gang in the Rosehall Backlands.
It is not yet known what losses the Banks suffered.
A number of 7.62 spent shells and two live rounds have been recovered from the scene by the police.
I. Whittaker
Assistant Commissioner
Public Relations & Press Officer
Monday, August 07, 2006
CIOG caught in two minds
Stabroek News Monday, August 7th 2006:
CIOG urges severing of ties with Israel
The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) has called again on the Guyana Government to sever diplomatic ties with Israel which it said has openly demonstrated a disregard for human life in its current bombardment of Lebanon.
The group commended Allah's blessings on those who voiced outrage at the atrocities committed daily in the region and on those who send assistance to the thousands displaced. The CIOG said it was praying for peace and justice in the Middle East, Guyana and the world over.
Guyana360: Where the hell was the CIOG when the Americans were attacking Iraq. We just get a fealing that because non of its members will be seeking a visa from Israel, they urge Guyana to sever ties with that country.
Why didn't they urge a severing of ties with the U.S that continues to potray open disregard for life in Iraq and around the world...Remember Roger Khan's movement to the U.S.
CIOG urges severing of ties with Israel
The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) has called again on the Guyana Government to sever diplomatic ties with Israel which it said has openly demonstrated a disregard for human life in its current bombardment of Lebanon.
The group commended Allah's blessings on those who voiced outrage at the atrocities committed daily in the region and on those who send assistance to the thousands displaced. The CIOG said it was praying for peace and justice in the Middle East, Guyana and the world over.
Guyana360: Where the hell was the CIOG when the Americans were attacking Iraq. We just get a fealing that because non of its members will be seeking a visa from Israel, they urge Guyana to sever ties with that country.
Why didn't they urge a severing of ties with the U.S that continues to potray open disregard for life in Iraq and around the world...Remember Roger Khan's movement to the U.S.
Linden on Fire
Since Kashief and Shanghai Football earlier this year and town day, Linden has been as dull as its economic progress.
But on Saturday sources said it was a big affair in the mining town as the PPP/C and the PNCR-1G moved in to hold rallies.
The Demerara River streamed between the two parties, keeping them apart.
According to sources, the boys and the girls, the old and the young sported their best dan-dans.
Who could not afford Sunday best outfits substituted for party T-shits similar to those that were worn in Berbice at the PPP/C rally by GINA staffers and yes, those that were worn again by GINA staffers at the Linden rally despite warnings from International Observers.
Speaking of which, we hope that the Observers will be equal to point out that other reporters were seen in PNCR-1G T-Shirts-those with the “YES” on them.
According to a source, they waited until they were far from town and far from reality (Natural Black say so) to wear their party garb.
But foolish they were as they walked around the rally with their media passes on.
Except from a bottle being hurled at an NCN Linden branch staff and Neaz Subban hitting-down a man and attempting to drive away, the entire night was incident free.
“Yes”, the PNCR-1G campaign theme was a good sell in Linden
But we will say “NO” to having Anthony Vieira speak at another rally. The man spoke worse than most grand fathers do normally.
He read one of his past commentaries at a rally…Yes he did, at a rally where one expects to hear from speakers with vigor and enthusiasm speak their mind.
The only thing missing for Vieira was a teleprompter which Roy Babel forgot to deliver to Linden but he should have borrowed one from LTV.
But on Saturday sources said it was a big affair in the mining town as the PPP/C and the PNCR-1G moved in to hold rallies.
The Demerara River streamed between the two parties, keeping them apart.
According to sources, the boys and the girls, the old and the young sported their best dan-dans.
Who could not afford Sunday best outfits substituted for party T-shits similar to those that were worn in Berbice at the PPP/C rally by GINA staffers and yes, those that were worn again by GINA staffers at the Linden rally despite warnings from International Observers.
Speaking of which, we hope that the Observers will be equal to point out that other reporters were seen in PNCR-1G T-Shirts-those with the “YES” on them.
According to a source, they waited until they were far from town and far from reality (Natural Black say so) to wear their party garb.
But foolish they were as they walked around the rally with their media passes on.
Except from a bottle being hurled at an NCN Linden branch staff and Neaz Subban hitting-down a man and attempting to drive away, the entire night was incident free.
“Yes”, the PNCR-1G campaign theme was a good sell in Linden
But we will say “NO” to having Anthony Vieira speak at another rally. The man spoke worse than most grand fathers do normally.
He read one of his past commentaries at a rally…Yes he did, at a rally where one expects to hear from speakers with vigor and enthusiasm speak their mind.
The only thing missing for Vieira was a teleprompter which Roy Babel forgot to deliver to Linden but he should have borrowed one from LTV.
PPP Gimmickries
Riding on the high wave of political gimmick and mockery, the ruling PPP/C launched a vicious and hilarious attack on the new boys, Trotman and Khemraj.
According to information, Donald told supporters in Linden on Saturday that they must not worry with the AFC since its leaders have “cock-eye” and the party has numerous “cock-eye policies for the country.”
Donald de duck waded through the AFC, attacking the collapse of the party’s stage at its Campaign launch more than a week ago.
“It was one of their cock-eye engineers that set up the stage,” Donald de duck quacked.
(We believe that Khemraj does have a funny eye, just our opinion)
The President was equal in dishing out his bag of tricks…He told supporters that the AFC Leaders who profess to be new are not at all new. He said he has been President for six years and he is still younger than them…WOW!!! who cares?
The President and the PPP don’t even careless about a new political culture where campaigns will be focused on clean tactics and outlining policies.
The opposition parties have so far kept boring Speeches at the rallies and slow to find physical faults with Government officials.
Like Sheik Baksh and his scamp beard or Sam wanting to commit suicide after becoming fed up with Government policies he decides to drink Kerosene.
Or the married President who is almost never with Varshnie…
According to information, Donald told supporters in Linden on Saturday that they must not worry with the AFC since its leaders have “cock-eye” and the party has numerous “cock-eye policies for the country.”
Donald de duck waded through the AFC, attacking the collapse of the party’s stage at its Campaign launch more than a week ago.
“It was one of their cock-eye engineers that set up the stage,” Donald de duck quacked.
(We believe that Khemraj does have a funny eye, just our opinion)
The President was equal in dishing out his bag of tricks…He told supporters that the AFC Leaders who profess to be new are not at all new. He said he has been President for six years and he is still younger than them…WOW!!! who cares?
The President and the PPP don’t even careless about a new political culture where campaigns will be focused on clean tactics and outlining policies.
The opposition parties have so far kept boring Speeches at the rallies and slow to find physical faults with Government officials.
Like Sheik Baksh and his scamp beard or Sam wanting to commit suicide after becoming fed up with Government policies he decides to drink Kerosene.
Or the married President who is almost never with Varshnie…
Shameless Human Service Minister
The front page of Stabroek News, Sunday August 6th Edition has raised a very important debate with its front page photo showing vagrants and the homeless sleeping on the pave.
Termed the anti-PPP news outfit by the President and others on his band wagon, the Stabroek News has once again showed that the simple things we fail to recognize as a people are sometimes the most important things.
While a large section of the opposition, including new kids on the block, the AFC shift their focus to the Government’s inability to arrest the drug barons, simple social ills like the increase in pavement dwellers are forgotten.
Any visiting Guyanese or guest could take a walk by the La Penitence Market square or by Bourda Market in the evening. There are hundreds of vagrants there, the majority of which are deportees.
There has been a significant increase in pavement dwellers along Regent Street as well.
World Cup Cricket is just months away and even with the Election season upon us, removing street dwellers seems impossible.
Too many officials in high office sit around all day on their hinnies, least interested in the development of Guyana, El Dorado.
Minister Bibi Saddick (Sad state of affairs to appoint her as Human Services Minister) is one of those inept officials.
Where does she stand on vagrants…She defends them
Where does she stand on sex offenders…She says, give them a chance
Where does she stand on sex abuse…She says, Leave them its consensual
Where does she stand on teen girls forced into pornography…She says, it does not look forced to me.
Where does she stand on Child Labour…Children need to earn
She is clueless and hopeless about human service…Such a position requires someone that is compassionate not one that resembles and acts like a “fish vendor” (not we say so, the Opposition described her like that)We just hope that the imminent cabinet shuffle after the Elections will realize her demise.
Termed the anti-PPP news outfit by the President and others on his band wagon, the Stabroek News has once again showed that the simple things we fail to recognize as a people are sometimes the most important things.
While a large section of the opposition, including new kids on the block, the AFC shift their focus to the Government’s inability to arrest the drug barons, simple social ills like the increase in pavement dwellers are forgotten.
Any visiting Guyanese or guest could take a walk by the La Penitence Market square or by Bourda Market in the evening. There are hundreds of vagrants there, the majority of which are deportees.
There has been a significant increase in pavement dwellers along Regent Street as well.
World Cup Cricket is just months away and even with the Election season upon us, removing street dwellers seems impossible.
Too many officials in high office sit around all day on their hinnies, least interested in the development of Guyana, El Dorado.
Minister Bibi Saddick (Sad state of affairs to appoint her as Human Services Minister) is one of those inept officials.
Where does she stand on vagrants…She defends them
Where does she stand on sex offenders…She says, give them a chance
Where does she stand on sex abuse…She says, Leave them its consensual
Where does she stand on teen girls forced into pornography…She says, it does not look forced to me.
Where does she stand on Child Labour…Children need to earn
She is clueless and hopeless about human service…Such a position requires someone that is compassionate not one that resembles and acts like a “fish vendor” (not we say so, the Opposition described her like that)We just hope that the imminent cabinet shuffle after the Elections will realize her demise.
Friday, August 04, 2006
The folklore of Guyana politics
The Election race is off with six parties contesting enough seats regionally to lay claim to the Office of the President if they win the majority votes and the folklore continues.
It started on Nomination Day, a day that resembled the horizon of a changed political landscape just after midday when the Justice For All Party headed by CN Sharma swooped down on city hall to present his list of Candidates to GECOM.
That promising atmosphere soon tilted the hands of the clock backward to a time when politicians had no regard for each other.
Up to the arrival of the AFC, everything seemed promising. But when the PPP/C entered the fray and nearly dispersed the AFC supporters, it was evident; this new political culture had died a natural death.
Once inside the President tried to upstage the AFC by trying to bypass them in the queue to present his list.
He was prevented from doing so. He displayed total arrogance that day, but what’s new?
After the President and his bandwagon departed, several other smaller parties turned up, including the National Muslim Party with a leader that had no supporters and no signatories to support just him, much less those who he planned on placing on the list.
Late in the afternoon as the sun rested in the West, the PNCR looking like a band of vagabonds up eastern Regent Street started tramping their way to city hall, 15 minutes before GECOM closed its doors to political parties.
As they got closer it looked like a destructive mob of people. It was. They tore through the gate and up city hall stairs with thunderous shouts as Corbin secluded himself between the supporters.
At 5 minutes before GECOM closed its door the PNCR made it in…We are not surprised since it clearly shows how serious they take the polls and maybe an indication at the space they will end up at the close of polls on August 28.
Both the PPP/C and PNCR-1G (as they call themselves now) have not changed a bit…PPP is still bigoted and the PNCR is still well, well sorry hoi polloi…oops.
It started on Nomination Day, a day that resembled the horizon of a changed political landscape just after midday when the Justice For All Party headed by CN Sharma swooped down on city hall to present his list of Candidates to GECOM.
That promising atmosphere soon tilted the hands of the clock backward to a time when politicians had no regard for each other.
Up to the arrival of the AFC, everything seemed promising. But when the PPP/C entered the fray and nearly dispersed the AFC supporters, it was evident; this new political culture had died a natural death.
Once inside the President tried to upstage the AFC by trying to bypass them in the queue to present his list.
He was prevented from doing so. He displayed total arrogance that day, but what’s new?
After the President and his bandwagon departed, several other smaller parties turned up, including the National Muslim Party with a leader that had no supporters and no signatories to support just him, much less those who he planned on placing on the list.
Late in the afternoon as the sun rested in the West, the PNCR looking like a band of vagabonds up eastern Regent Street started tramping their way to city hall, 15 minutes before GECOM closed its doors to political parties.
As they got closer it looked like a destructive mob of people. It was. They tore through the gate and up city hall stairs with thunderous shouts as Corbin secluded himself between the supporters.
At 5 minutes before GECOM closed its door the PNCR made it in…We are not surprised since it clearly shows how serious they take the polls and maybe an indication at the space they will end up at the close of polls on August 28.
Both the PPP/C and PNCR-1G (as they call themselves now) have not changed a bit…PPP is still bigoted and the PNCR is still well, well sorry hoi polloi…oops.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Our Miss Universe was on TV...
This is our very own, Alana Ernest...
She did not place at the Miss Universe but at least she lived her 5 seconds of fame.
If you clink this LINK you might understand why she did not win. We just hope that we could reverse our fortunes at these occassions...We say lets send pretty blonde girls.
Anyway, here are some of her proud moments...
Is the US the Government in Guyana?
As much as we love the fear of living in the US hoping that another major building is not hit, we just can't seem to understand why a Government that prides its self as a democracy must be sticking their noses into our business.
The recent revocation of our Acting Commissioner of Police, Henry Green US visa on the heels of Roger Khan's controversial capture sends a clear signal that the US is prepared to cunningly manipulate our affairs.
The entire country knows that Greene will take over as Commissioner but it seems that the US has a problem with that.
So instead of openly stating their position, the US resorts to public pressure and embarrasement.
The US is making a mockery of Guyana because as we newspaper vendor Danny would say..."We need a bad ass Government with balls"
The US said it was willing to issue Khan a visa for him to travel to the states to answer drug charges, now Greene is without a visa.
We hear that since the US offer Khan a visa, a man and he wife get caught with drugs at the Airport.
This was a different bust...the couple just tun up and show dem customer officer de drugs and say how they import before to the US. Dem bet dem bottom dollar they woulda a get fuh go the states but they were thrown into the local jail instead.
Well Mr. Greene you neeed to explain to the country, what ill u did? What links you joined?
But for us, before the feds start hacking our computers, we go lef them to the mercies of the almighty.
The recent revocation of our Acting Commissioner of Police, Henry Green US visa on the heels of Roger Khan's controversial capture sends a clear signal that the US is prepared to cunningly manipulate our affairs.
The entire country knows that Greene will take over as Commissioner but it seems that the US has a problem with that.
So instead of openly stating their position, the US resorts to public pressure and embarrasement.
The US is making a mockery of Guyana because as we newspaper vendor Danny would say..."We need a bad ass Government with balls"
The US said it was willing to issue Khan a visa for him to travel to the states to answer drug charges, now Greene is without a visa.
We hear that since the US offer Khan a visa, a man and he wife get caught with drugs at the Airport.
This was a different bust...the couple just tun up and show dem customer officer de drugs and say how they import before to the US. Dem bet dem bottom dollar they woulda a get fuh go the states but they were thrown into the local jail instead.
Well Mr. Greene you neeed to explain to the country, what ill u did? What links you joined?
But for us, before the feds start hacking our computers, we go lef them to the mercies of the almighty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
