Will this ever happen in Guyana?

Red Cross president forced out over 'personal relationship'

(CNN) -- Red Cross President and CEO Mark W. Everson has stepped down after revelations he was "engaged in a personal relationship with a subordinate employee," the organization announced Tuesday.

Mark W. Everson says he is leaving his post, effective immediately, for "personal and family reasons."

The Red Cross Board of Governors asked for and received Everson's resignation after it "concluded that the situation reflected poor judgment on Mr. Everson's part and diminished his ability to lead the organization in the future," the Red Cross said in a statement on its Web site.

Everson, 53, said in a written statement that he was leaving the $500,000-per-year job "for personal and family reasons, and deeply regret it is impossible for me to continue in a job so recently undertaken."

Everson -- who is married and has two children -- joined the Red Cross as president and CEO last May.

The organization became aware of Everson's relationship with a female Red Cross employee 10 days ago, Chief Public Affairs Officer Suzy C. DeFrancis told CNN in a telephone interview.

"I think the board acted very quickly," she said, adding that the woman remains in her job.

About Everson, DeFrancis said, "We're grateful for his service."

The board of governors on Tuesday appointed Mary S. Elcano, general counsel and five-year Red Cross employee, as interim president and CEO.

Everson had worked in the Bush administration from August 2001 -- including serving as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service -- until he was hired by the Red Cross.

"This is flabbergasting, that's all I can say. It's completely contrary to his public persona that he evidenced while he was at the IRS," said Suzanne Ross McDowell, a Washington-based attorney who served on an advisory committee to the IRS division that deals with tax-exempt organizations.

"From the standpoint of exempt organizations on the non-profit sector, it's just another news story that we would rather not see," she said.

"It's got nothing to do with the Red Cross," said Ira Milstein, a New York lawyer specializing in corporate governance who has worked with the organization and was impressed with Everson. "He was a team player and a good leader. To have him fall off a cliff like this is just sad."

A search committee has been formed to begin the process of finding Everson's permanent replacement, the organization said.

The job has been a challenging one. Marsha J. Evans resigned as president in 2005, after the Red Cross response to Hurricane Katrina came under fire.

Four years earlier, Bernadine Healy quit the post after the organization was criticized for mishandling donations intended for victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and collecting vast quantities of blood that was not needed and ultimately thrown out.

Healy told reporters she "had no choice" about her resignation.

Meanwhile, DeFrancis acknowledged Tuesday that, 14 years after a court ordered the agency to improve its collection of blood, it has yet to meet federal safety and quality-control requirement

Happy-Go-Unlucky

TRIGGER HAPPY MINISTER OF THE GOVERNMENT

Recent reports have been carried prominently in the media to the effect that a Minister of the PPP/C Administration – Mr. Kellawan Lall, MP, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development - was involved in a brawl with a man, one Joseph Doodnauth, in a rum shop at Montrose, on the East Coast of Demerara, on Sunday, 18th November 2007, during which the said Minister allegedly struck down the man with his vehicle and, while his victim was lying on the roadway, fired several shots at him at close range.

The People’s National Congress Reform condemns this latest example of the lawless and unseemly behaviour of yet another member of the PPP/C Administration. In any law abiding Jurisdiction, self respect and the rules of public decency would have demanded the voluntary or requested resignation of this Minister. Instead, the Government’s spin Doctor has set out to publicly downplay and, by implication, condone the behaviour of this Minister.

This incident is further evidence that the Rule of Law in Guyana is being disregarded and eroded, especially since, it has been reported that this matter has been settled out of court, presumably as a result of political intervention, even though the matter is supposedly engaging the attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Taking cognisance of the publicly available information on this matter, the PNCR believes that the Minister concerned should certainly step down or be made to step down while the Director of Public Prosecutions conducts the necessary investigations to determine what charges should be brought against him.

The PNCR is not of the view that the settlement out of court should prevent the law from taking its course. Should this happen, then the Rule of Law in Guyana will continue to be seriously undermined, leaving the wider society with the perception that there are different laws for the poor and powerless in contrast to what applies for the rich and/or powerful.

It is ironic that, at the very moment when the PPP/C Administration has shouted from the roof tops that the use of weapons is spiralling out of control, one of its own Ministers should be engaged in such a lawless public act, involving his wanton and illegal use of a gun, in a manner which could have caused the death of the individual who he attacked.

If the Ministers of the Government cannot conduct themselves in a lawful manner then they are setting the worse possible example for the rest of the society and should not be invested with Ministerial responsibilities.

PNCR

The 11th Commandment

PRESS RELEASE: MINISTERS MUST OBEY THE LAW

The Alliance For Change expresses alarm and concern at reports of a Minister of the PPP/C government being involved in a bar brawl, and moreover, that there was reckless and inappropriate use of a vehicle and firearm such as to cause a breach of the peace on or about the 17th November, 2007, on the East Coast of Demerara.

Notwithstanding the reluctance or unwillingness of the victim of the alleged assaults to proceed with a criminal complaint, the Guyana Police Force, as protector of the public safety, has a duty to pursue this matter diligently and to lay charges if the statements submitted by members of the public establish that there was the likely commission of criminal offences.

The AFC calls on the main opposition party to confront the government on this issue and it is suggested that an opportune time to do so would be during upcoming talks to be held between His Excellency the President, and the Leader of the Opposition. The failure or refusal of the authorities to uphold the laws of the country strikes at the very heart of the observance of the rule of Law in Guyana. It is one thing to pursue relentlessly, and prosecute, the poor and helpless for having expired licensing documents for vehicles, or uncustomed liquor and drinks at Stabroek Market, and yet another, to have blatant violations of the law and ethics of the National Assembly violated. Justice cannot be one-sided or blind. The AFC is prepared to support any initiative led by the main opposition party to have the relevant Minister and Member of Parliament censured and sanctioned by the Assembly.

Mail Trail...SASOD

The following comment was posted in response to our post on SASOD


I quite agree. Where is SASOD and their condemnation of this horrific act of molestation. Can we interpret SASOD's silence as supporting child (boys) molestation?

From: No name, No warrant, simply Anonymous.

Blogalization

Could it be true that increased bloggers globally have pushed the envelope of the English Language. "Blogalization"...there is much debate on the use of the word, but quite frankly in the absence of a definitive meaning of the word, we must add to the debate.

There is a school of though that perhaps "blogalization" is similar in some respects to "globalization" because they infer a move to globalisms. Yes indeed, but there is no need to coin another word that speaks to a global movement because "Globalization" defines just what is taking place with bloggers globally.

"Globalization refers in general to the worldwide integration of humanity and the compression of both the temporal and spatial dimensions of planet-wide human interaction." It "has aggravated many of the region's most chronic problems--such as the pronounced degree of economic exploitation and social inequality that have characterized Latin America since it came under European colonial domination in the sixteenth century."

Richard L. Harris, "The Global Context of Contemporary Latin American Affairs," in Capital, Power, and Inequality in Latin America, eds., Sandor Halebsky and Richard L. Harris (Boulder: Westview Press, 1995), 279, 80.

"Blogaliziation" is just another fancy word-some may say sexy- that sounds great in the 21st Century, but it just should not be part of any English dictionary. There is no integration of ideas by bloggers and no great march towards inclusiveness.

Here are a few other thoughts on "blogalization"

Killaman Lall...stars in Wild, Wild Guyana.

Today news that a Minister had whipped out his firearm and discharged a few rounds at a young man who is having an affair with one of his many ex-women, was on ever lip all across the country. It was an epic rum bar showdown without any of the scorned men having to take ten paces.

Imagine a Minister of the Government fighting over an ex-gurl. How much more jealous can he be.

The story published in the Kaieteur News did not name the Minister, but we will reveal that Minister right here without fear of contradiction, even as you patiently wait on other bloggers to do so.

This is him...do you know this gun-toting Minister?

All smiles after embarrassing the Government!!!

If you said Minister Clement Rohee, you are wrong. If your guess was Minister Henry Jeffery, you are dead wrong. Worst yet, if you even harboured a thought that the man above is Minister Kellowan Lall, believe us you are far from reality.

The foregone photo is actually that of Guyana's newest Minister of Local Government, Killaman Lall, who belives he is the next Sheriff in Georgetown...Maybe he was practicing on how to bulldoze his way through the City Constable and push out Ole' Mayor Green from Town hall.

He still needs some more practice, because all he hit that night of the brawl were a few stars above.

We here at Guyana360 are very concerned about the safety of the Minister. His wife committed suicide after attempting to shoot him.

Now that he attempted to shoot someone and also missed, what will he attempt next?

The police needs to ensure that his firearm is revoked and his license scrapped immediately. This is the only way that the force can correct its misdeeds by arresting the man that the Minister actually shot at. Talk about protection of citizens.

Odinga Safe...but Cabinet makes strange decision

Odinga, one of the President's henchmen is resting comfortably at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital after his speeding vehicle flew off the road some where at Hope along the East Coast of Demerara . Up to this afternoon relatives were hoping (no pun intended) to move him to a private facility since they realised that the public hospital is where you go to spend your last few days on earth.

For some strange and unimaginable reason we just cant figure out yet, the entire Cabinet has recommended to doctors that he remains at the ICU. Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon enlightened the media today at his Post Cabinet media briefing...

"Government is continuing its monitoring of the situation and is prepared to recommend to doctors at a inconvenient and inappropriate time another course of action which may involved having Mr. Odinga transferred to another Hospital. As Cabinet Secretary, I am obligated to assure the nation that all tender board procedures will be adhered to during this entire operation to ensure that not only BK is rewarded a contract...In the meantime we have appointed a new adviser on empowerment in Mr. Joseph O'Lall."

It will be days before we know to what extent Odinga has been affected, but doctors tell us that he may have permanent spinal damage. How sad, for a man that acts like Mr. Superman and who is almighty, so much so that he Ko'ed another boxing promoter right before the eyes of the President, yet remained a faithful adviser. As news spread of Odinga's demise, we heard from many former pageant contestants, who sang praises believing that the accident may have been an act ordained by God. As one of those women told us "Payback is a bitch".

But, as a person close to Government, "Dinga" as Six Heads call him, should have known better than to have his driver pelt down the road after a rugged Cabinet Outreach to Berbice. Those in Government appeal to us to be careful on the roads and what do they do...lick down, lash up and bruck up. We expect that charges to be pressed against the driver of the vehicle shortly.

Breaking News!!! Odinga in accident

Information reaching us this evening suggests that Presidential Advisor on Empowerment, Odinga Labumba was involved in an accident at Hope along the East Coast of Demerara...Details coming.

This is why Guyana360 hot!!!

Exclusive photos of the artistes to perform tonight at the Bourda Cricket Ground

BREAKING NEWS, BREAKING NEWS....Venezuela bombs Guyana

While President Bharrat Jagdeo moved his entire Cabinet to the eastern corner of Guyana, Venezuela seized an opportunity to blasts miners in the disputed border region between Guyana and Venezuela. Did President Jagdeo knew of the plan? Its strange that the President took his entire Cabinet to Berbice to politic. Why is our military still in the barracks and in the back lands along the East Coast and not on the border? More on this soon.

Story and photo courtesy of the BBC...



Venezuela has denied destroying two gold-mining dredges on Guyanese territory following a strong protest from Guyana's government.

Guyana says 36 Venezuelan soldiers used helicopters and Compostion-4 (C-4), a type of plastic explosive, to blow up the two dredges on Thursday.

It has summoned Venezuela's ambassador to explain the incident.

Venezuela denies using force and said the army was removing illegal miners inside its own territory.

Territorial dispute

The dredges were in a disputed border region that has seen a number of recent incidents.

Guyanese troops and police travelled to the border on Friday to investigate whether the incident took place on the Wenamu River between the two countries, or the Cuyuni River in Guyana, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Guyanese Foreign Minister Rudy Insally told the news agency AFP that his country was "very disturbed by this report because it affects our territorial sovereignty."

But Venezuela's ambassador to Guyana, Dario Morandy, told AFP that his country could provide co-ordinates to show the incident had occurred within Venezuelan borders.

The ambassador also accused illegal miners of polluting rivers with mercury and said Venezuela was protecting its natural resources.

What do these fellas have in common?

Email us your suggestions as to what these men may have in common...

Opposition Leader, Robert Corbin



Juniour Minister of Health, Bheri Ramsarran



Ganga Persaud (L) is the Serving Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government and Member of the Public Service Commission. He was also Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education



City Businessman, Kevin Jordan

Where is SASOD???

Kevin Jordan

While we will not advocate violence against Mr. Jordan in public, we strongly believe that people of this ilk should be shipped off to the USA and enjoy a more liberal society. SASOD, a local group of faggots have criticised about every reggae singer that enters Guyana over perceived anti-gay lyrics, yet they sit and refuse to put pen to paper when young boys are victimised. FIRE!!!

Government confusion...

Expensive point!!! TCL posted this full page ad in Kaieteur News...


The Guyana Government is obviously confused as to how they should treat with the Common External Tariff (CET). They blocked Jamaica from applying for a CET waiver on rice, but now Guyana is trying to have a waiver on cement extended. TCL is right, Government must be consistent on its policies.

Guyana's Laundromat

Hang em' to dry

President Bharrat Jagdeo continues his school boy's assessment of how economies run and how those who are elected to govern, fulfill their mandate to the electorate. The latest episode did hit us like bolts of lightening and we must confess, we laughed our hearts off to the bank.

The President just doesn't seem to have one iota (we can say this definitively on this blog because not even the private media can criticise the President) about money laundering. Perhaps he does and prefers to cast the spotlight away from Guyana.

Whatever the reason for his latest charade which saw him pelting blows at the United States and not taking the bull by its horn is totally unacceptable. Instead of seizing an opportunity to send a strong message to the launders and their agents, the President sought to lecture a body of bankers that the US needs to put its house in order before pointing fingers at Guyana. Very good argument except it is best suited for an encounter with fazil, boysie and the other boys you find in any rum shop and there are many sprawled across Guyana.

Like a true school boy with his runny nose and pink rag pinned against his chest , with lunch kit tucked in hand, the President sought to show how it was the US and not Guyana that had a bigger problem when it comes to money laundering.

Pissing poor and flimsy of the President.

When you speak Mr. president it's not about which country that has the worst track record, but you defend Guyana on policy issues and what you intend to do about a problem that needs fixing.

Quite frankly, we don't care much if the majority of the narcotics is destined for the US or even if the proceeds are laundered in the land of the brave first before flowing through to other small economies.

The U$ is free to launder money, import and/or export narcotics. But, what we are concerned about, is the fact that it passes through our porous borders and the drug dealers (which every Guyanese know) can set up shop by owning buildings and having Government concessions.

Mr. President, the next time you speak on behalf of the 54 % of the electorate that voted for your return, tell us about the progress that Guyana has made in prosecuting money launders and just how much drug dealers the police have captured.

While you are at it, please don't tell your next audience that an anti-money laundering bill has been crafted and is before the Parliament. It's laughable. You did not assent to several bills last year. This year you are still to assent to a few key ones, foremost among them is the "Recall Legislation". What is even more laughable, is the fact that your Minister of Home Affairs is still to make several bills operational although they were passed in the National Assembly months back.

One of those bills will help lock away for good, persons found with illegal firearms. Yet this bill remains a showpiece of the balded Minister of Home Affairs, who might still be unaware of Guyana's size.

Mr. President, you seem so defensive when it comes to money laundering that it makes us feel uncomfortable to even share information with local police. Not only us, but we are certain that many Guyanese will be scared to come forward and the media will be intimidated when tracking drug related stories.

Thanks Mr. President for defending the backbone of your economy that is so close to your heart.

The next time you want to hang your dirty linen (money laundering secrets) in public do it at a rum shop with Manniram Prashad (your more than good friend).

Is the President a Saviour?

President commits first prize to Kashif and Shanghai

President Bharrat Jagdeo today pledged to assist the Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament this year when he committed to provide the $750,000 first prize along with any Value Added Tax (VAT) incurred by the tournament.
The President’s assistance is expected to stop various speculations in the media over the past months as to whether the tournament would be successfully staged.
The promoters of the tournament, Kashif Mohammed and Shanghai Major pointed out that several sections of the media had misinterpreted various bits of information they received about the tournament previously.
Mohammed said the tournament is in its eighteenth year and President Jagdeo has always provided financial assistance since its inception during which time he was Minister of Finance. He had also assisted in providing the lighting system at the
Mac Kenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden where the tournament’s main matches are played.
Last year, the Head of State provided $1M for the tournament.
This year’s tournament will run from December 16 and will see 16 football teams from various parts of the country competing to cop the $750, 000, $350,000, $250,000 and $150,000 first, second, third and fourth prizes respectively.