Guyana allocates more funds for embassy building in Brazil

Another GUY$525 million (One Guyana dollar=US$0 004 cents) has been allocated in the 2023 budget for the establishment of an embassy in neighboring Brazil.

The allocation comes just two months after Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd, confirmed that the government had scrapped the contract for the construction of the embassy building

It's reported that despite a flawed contract signed by the previous APNU+AFC administration, the People's Progressive Party Civic government at the start of 2022 had recommitted to completing the construction of the US$4 3 million embassy in Brazil

An ambitious timeline to complete the facility by July was not met

Now, more money has been allocated but there is no indication of a new contract in place

The project total is listed in the 2023 budget as GUY$978 9 million which will be fully financed by central government

Prior to 2021, $36 2 million was allocated to the project with another $407.3 million allocated in 2021, and $10 4 million in 2022

According to Todd, the government was forced to scrap the entire contract because of mounting inconsistencies A team from the ministry visited Brazil last year and during that visit, the contract was terminated Todd had promised then to revisit the entire process

Previously, the foreign minister said the issues were directly related to the contract and the design submitted He said the delay in completing the physical structure for the embassy has not hampered cooperation efforts between the two neighbors

Guyana and Brazil are cooperating on several fronts with talks ongoing and agreements signed to support the regional efforts toward energy and food security

There are standing bilateral treaties on civil and criminal matters, health, and business exchanges, particularly in oil and gas

Five years have passed since the groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction of a permanent building for the Guyana Embassy in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil The contract for construction was done through a partnership between a local firm and another construction firm in Brazil

Ruling party wins third consecutive victory in Antigua

Prime Minister Gaston Browne led his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) to a nail-biting victory in Wednesday's general election, winning nine of the 17 seats for a third consecutive term in office, according to the preliminary results released early Thursday morning

The party had won 15 of the 17 seats in the 2018 general election

“You know I have always said to people, you must always give thanks, no matter how small the blessing and I see this decision as a blessing upon the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” Prime Minister Browne told supporters

He said the results will give the ABLP government the opportunity to re-align “and also create the opportunity for fresh talent

“Truth be told, whenever you try to remove incumbents it is very difficult So when you remove incumbents then it creates the space you could bring in new talent to the organization, to the government

“So we do not see this as a bad thing per se, we see it as an opportunity at the same time However, I want to thank those of my colleagues who would have served this country well over the last eight and a half years and of course we will continue to stand by them, so we will not leave them out in the cold,” Browne told supporters

Prime Minister Browne, who became the first government leader to win three consecutive general elections, headed the victorious ABLP candidates, as the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) won five additional seats as compared to the solitary seat it had gained in the 2018 general election

The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) failed to make any impact in the election with its leader, Joanne Massiah polling only 22 votes

UPP leader Harold Lovell, failed to win the City East seat for a third consecutive time as Information Minister Melford Nicholas held on to win by six votes

Preliminary figures released by the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) showed that Nicholas, who has defeated the former finance minister on all three occasions, polled 791 votes while Lovell received 785 Leon Smith of the DNA got 13 votes

In the last general election, Lovell lost by 153 votes He has since called for a recount

On the sister isle of Barbuda, the Barbuda People's Movement (BPM), retained the seat with the incumbent, Trevor Walker, comfortably winning against Knacyntar Nedd of the ABLP

Among the casualties of the election were Works Minister Lennox Weston, Samantha Marshall, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs, Michael Browne, Minister of the Creative Industries and Innovation and Dean Jonas, the Minister of Social Transformation, Human Resource Development and the Blue Economy

Jamaica-based pollster, Don Anderson, who had conducted several opinion polls prior to the general election, said while the UPP “will do much better than they did in 2018,” it failed to drive home the issues during the campaign