Weekend Mirror 17-18 September 2022 by Weekend Mirror

17-18 September, 2022 / Vol. 12 No. 40 / Price: $100 Email: mirror2018.gy@gmail.com SEE INSIDE InternationalElectionsCoIappointed ‒ Report expected in seven months PAGE 2 Coalition’s claims on removing deceased persons from Voters’ List PNCR-ledrubbishedCoalition persist with irresponsible rhetoric GECOM extends ongoing Claims and Objection Exercise by seven days All monkeypox?withreinfectedCanbyaddressedtodemarcationslandAmerindiantitles,be202411,000electronictabletswitheducationresourcestobedistributedbyyear-endyougetPAGE 8 PAGE 6 PAGE 9 Proposed electoral laws likely to be passed before LGE PAGE 15 PAGE 18 PAGE 23

Report expected in seven months

Retired Trinidad Justice of Appeal Stanley John

According to the Order, detailing the appointment, the Commissioners, in keeping with the Terms of Reference for their functioning, are to:

DEADLINESEVEN-MONTH

The international Elections Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was sworn in on Tues day (September 13, 2022).

Retired Justice of Appeal of the Turks and Caicos Is lands, Stanley John took the oath before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan as chairman

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• Inquire into and report upon the relevant circumstances and events leading up to, and the procedures following, the Regional and General Elec

FormerSinghAttorney

of the commission. Former High Court Judge and Acting Justice of Appeal in the East ern Caribbean, Godfrey P. Smith SC; former Chair and Former Chancellor (ag), Carl Singh, OR, CCH, were sworn in as members.

tions held in Guyana on the god day of March 2020, not limited to but including: - the counting ascertainment and tabulation of votes polled and the public declaration of those results by the Returning Officer of Electoral District No. 4 and other election offi cers, as prescribed by sections 84 to 89 of the Representation of the People Act, Chap. 1:03:

• Make such recommenda tions as the Commission deems fit and necessary to permit the Guyana Elections Commission to discharge its statutory functions prescribed by sections 84-89.96-97 of the Representation of the People Act, Chap. 1:03 in a manner which is impartial, fair and compliant with the Constitu tion and relevant legislation and to make any other recom mendations which the Com mission deems appropriate having regard to the law and to any evidence which may be presented.InOctober 2020, Ali dis closed that the Government of Guyana was in talks with the international community regarding a Commission of Inquiry into the events of the March 2020 Elections, which saw a five-month delay in the declaration of final election results. He had said, “We’ve already started conversation with various international stakeholders on the subject matter and the international

- what attempts, if any, were made to obstruct, frustrate, subvert and prevent the count ing, ascertainment and tabu lation of votes polled and a declaration of the true results of Electoral District No. 4 as prescribed by sections 84 to 89 of the Representation of the People Act, Chap. 1:03, and by whom; - what attempts, if any, were made to obstruct, frustrate, subvert and prevent a deci sion of the Guyana Elections Commission made on the 14 day of March 2020, to con duct a national count of the votes polled at the General and Regional Elections held in Guyana on 26 March 2020, from being executed and im plemented, and by whom; - the conduct of the Chief Election Officer, other Elec tion Officers, and others, - in respect of the discharge and execution of the statutory duties of the Chief Election Officer prescribed by section 96 and 97 of the Representa tion of the People Act, Chap. 1:03

2 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18

General, High Court Judge and Acting Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Caribbean, Godfrey P. Smith SC

International Elections CoI appointed

Former Chancellor (Ag), of the Guyana Judiciary, Carl

Member of International Elections...

CoI will ‘in no way’ influence CCJ’s – Nandlall

He charged that the CCJ has already heard one elec tion petition appeal, Petition 99. On Tuesday (September 13, 2022), he said, “They are not connected, those matters are already in the court, they

Since then, sever al high-level officials of

Governance. Public consul tations been ongoing.

CHARGES

“Development cannot take place in the absence of the rule of law and or democ racy. Our democracy was under severe threat at the March 2, 2020 elections, we saw, the world saw, you all saw flagrant attempts made to alter unlawfully the result of those elections at several stages of the process,” Nand lall Insaid.some instances, he

community is also very much interested…the international community was a key part in ensuring that democracy was protected…so the internation al community is going to play a key part in this and they are very keen and they are very interested…in relation to a timeframe in having the CoI, I would say that it is in the, not the medium-term, but the immediate-term plan for the Government as we proceed towards the end of the year.”

“…it’s beingsincebeenact(ROPA),resentationholdingimprovetotryingtransparenttransparent….it'swhattheyaretodo…theyjustwantkillanyopportunitytotheframeworkforelections.”AmendmentstotheRepofthePeopleActboththesubstantiveandtheregulations,haveinpubliccirculationNovember2021,afterreleasedbytheMinistry

In the aftermath of the controversial five-month-long March 2020 Election fiasco, a number of high-ranking Guy ana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials have been investigated by the Police and charged for misconduct in public office and forgery.

during a particular election.

Myers has been charges

GECOM, on August 2, 2020, finalised results of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections process, after a five-month long fight by the PPP/C and civil soci ety against the former AP NU+AFC Coalition’s attempt to undermine the will of the Guyanese people. Those results showed that the Peo ple’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) won the Election with 233,336 votes, while the APNU+AFC secured 217,920 votes.

The first mention of an investigation into the elections was made by Ali, during his inauguration speech on Au gust 8, 2020. “All of us have an obligation to the nation and to ourselves to ensure that, never again, should any generation of our people be subjected to such unlawful be haviour. Therefore, a review of events related to the elec toral process over the last five months will begin shortly to determine forensically exactly what transpired and to hold accountable any person who sought to pervert and corrupt the system.” The Head of State had said too that all nec essary reforms will be pursued to make democracy stronger, and the electoral process more transparent.TheCommission of In quiry was appointed in accor dance with Section 2 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, Chapter 19:03.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has hired a team of lawyers to prosecute these cases on the State’s behalf.

GECOM and the AP NU+AFC faced charges before the courts for issues relating to the elections.

were filed two years prior to the commission and there is absolutely no nexus between the Thetwo.”AG contended that Guyana has a history of elections rigging and there must be a proactive effort to squash the illegal play. The country’s social system and its people were virtual ly destroyed due to rigged elections, Minister Nandlall further emphasised. To this end, he asserted that the CoI is only part of the process of ensuring that the activity never happens again.

She said Article 163 (1) of the Constitution, the Supreme Law of Guyana, stipulates that the High Court has exclusive jurisdiction to determine ques tions relating to the validity of an election. GECOM is not a court of law and, therefore, has no authority to determine whether an election was law fully conducted, and no such power was conferred on it un der Article 162 (1) (b). “A pe rusal of Articles 162 and 163 shows that the Constitution clearly and sharply separates the functions of GECOM and the High Court respectively in matters of electoral laws. The Commission does not have, and cannot clothe itself with, the powers of a Court of Law to examine and re-examine witnesses or to procure official documents to determine the truth of the allegations con tained therein. Any such ques tion can only be determined by way of an election petition filed in the High Court,” the GECOM Chair said.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 3

The Statements of Poll (SOPs) and Statements of Recount (SORs) for Region 4, Guy ana’s largest voting district, were handed over to the Crim inal Investigations Depart ment (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) May 31, 2021 to aid in the prosecution.

for misconduct in public of fice.

Mingo has been charged with several counts of miscon duct in public office in relation to their conduct at March 2020 General and Regional Elections.Mingo and Joseph are charged jointly for forgery. The signature of Joseph, was on manipulated declarations for Region 4, issued on March 13, 2020 and prepared by Mingo.Lawrence was slapped with two charges of con spiracy to commit fraud at the March 2, 2020 Gener al and Regional Elections. Lawrence signed off on the March 5, 2022 declaration by Mingo. Mingo also signed off the fraudulent declaration of results of Region 4 from the March 2, 2020 Elections, which was vitiated by the Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George-Wiltshire, who said it wasOnillegal.allthe Form 24 dec larations, for nine Regions, there is only one signature, that of the Returning Offi cers. In both cases – on the fraudulent March 5th and March 13th declarations – the

He said the establishment of the CoI is a promise de livered by the president and reiterated that democracy is central to the rule of law.

suring that they are fully com plied with by all of its staff, so that such things cannot happen in a future election…. should the intention of a pro posed review be to consider if there are, in fact, potential weaknesses in the processes employed by GECOM for the conduct of elections, and to propose improved methods or processes for future elections, then this can and should be undertaken,” the GECOM Chair declared.

“Theday.most that GECOM can do in this regard is to examine its processes to see whether there are gaps or weaknesses in its processes that make it possible for votes to be counted for persons who could not have voted. This requires no more than an examination of the processes currently employed in light of the claims made, and a determination of whether there is potential for such to have occurred. If there is, then the Commission can consider what adjustments can be made to improve the sys tem…GECOM can examine and strengthen its processes if necessary, and place greater emphasis in the future on en

GECOM CONDUCTCANNOTREVIEW

They include: sacked Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; sacked Deputy Chief Elec tions Officer (DCEO), Rox anne Myers; sacked Re gion Four Returning Offi cer, Clairmont Mingo; the PNCR’s Volda Lawrence; APNU+AFC activist, Car ol Smith-Joseph; GECOM Registration Clerk, Shefern February; GECOM Registra tion Clerk, Michelle Miller; GECOM Registration Clerk, Denise Babb– Cummings; and GECOM Information Technology Officer, Enrique Livan.The Chief Elections Of ficer is facing three counts of forgery and three counts of misconduct in public office.

Meanwhile, Vice Presi dent and PPP General Sec retary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has rubbished the attempt by the APNU+AFC Coalition to link the PPP/C government’s efforts to advance electoral reform to a convoluted notion of aAtreview.hisnews conference on Wednesday (June 15, 2022), he said, “Clearly, they don't want the Representation of People’s Act to be amended, even having gone through a public process. And every body recognizes now that we have to put in place arrange ments in Representation of the People Act – that is publishing statements of poll before they start counting; and getting a manual for the elections months before and publishing it so that every Guyanese would know what's going on; and then, determining polling places, not the night before the elections, so people know this before weeks before the elections where they should vote. All of these things, they use the like to keep within the CEO making these decisions.

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of Parliamentary Affairs and

said, attempts were made by the APNU+AFC to use the judiciary to help suppress the will of the people. “That must be interrogated, that must be investigated so that persons can be held respon sible, the illegality and the conspiratorial role played by many will be exposed and most importantly it must form part of the permanent record of this country if only for one objective, that they must never be a reoccur rence of what transpired,” he stressed.TheAPNU+AFC Coa

lition made vile attempts to rig the March 2 elections, presenting fake SOPs and claimingFollowingvictory.five months of Legal battles, the will of the people being stifled and numerous calls from the regional and interna tional community, the AP NU+AFC accepted defeat and stepped down, finally making way for the consti tutionally elected President Ali-led administration to assume office.

record of votes were ma nipulated in that they were increased for the APNU+AFC and decreased the votes for the PPP/C. By the end of the recount for Region 4, the declarations were exposed as having been manipulated.

Retired Justice of Appeal of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Stanley John took the oath before Chief Mag istrate, Ann McLennan as chairman of the commis sion. Former High Court Judge and Acting Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Carib bean, Godfrey P. Smith SC; former Chair and Former Chancellor (ag), Carl Singh, OR, CCH, were sworn in as members.

CONVOLUTED NOTION OF A REVIEW

In her decision, the GECOM Chair said that it was important that a distinc tion be made between a re view of GECOM’s processes in effectively conducting an election and an investigation into what actually transpired

Also, she explained that in being asked to investigate the March 2020 Elections, GECOM is being asked to answer two questions: one, whether persons who could not have voted, voted in the elections; and two, what doc uments were required to be present in the ballot boxes at the close of counting on election

T he international Com mission of Inquiry (CoI) which was launched to probe illegal events on March 2, 2020, during the General and Regional Elections, will in no way influence proceed ings before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), ac cording to Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall.

Further, GECOM Chair person, Retired Justice Clau dette Singh, had handed down a decision, after the matter came up at the Commission, making clear that any review focused on investigating ac tual occurrences during the 2020 elections by the electoral body would be outside the scope of GECOM’s power.

of Poll (SOPs) among the other relevant reconciliatory reports ought to be public documents, as the copies are legally required to be put up for display at the varying polling stations as evidence of the exercise of transparent procedures and to facilitate appropriate queries if there are visible errors.The arising area of the query is why did the APNU/AFC Commissioners at the meeting of the Commission ve hemently oppose the release of these documents. What is there to hide? The

That said, the APNU+AFC Coalition must move forward from a responsible footing and recognise that we can only move forward together. The fact that all our leaders have a collective responsibility to work honestly together to deliver for the Guyanese people must be recognized and acted on.

Objective leadership at GECOM asserts its role

It must be stated for the record that the Chair of GECOM, at no time what soever during these deliberations, voted against the grant of the extension of Claims sought. In fact, the deliberations on the issue of granting or refusing the request for an extension was not con cluded at the statutory meeting on the 13th of September, 2022. Therefore, the headline of the letter is blatantly false andThemisleading.decision taken by the Chair of GECOM is that the Chief Election Offi cer immediately writes to the governing political party, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), and other parlia mentary opposition parties informing

The Electoral List has never been a major issue since 1992, when a new list was compiled under the watchful eyes of the Carter Center, and Mr Dennis King from the Carter Center will forever be remembered. The PNC was never able to justify its claims of how any fake vot

Further, a detailed plan to advance inclusive governance saw several measures being expounded on in a Paper titled ‘Towards greater inclusive governance in Guyana – Building Trust To Achieve Genuine Political Cooperation’, which was made public in 2003. The measures detailed in the Paper were cited as “vital” for political development and the “emergence of a new political culture” characterised by greater trust, ci vility and commitment to the national interest.

Our attention has been drawn to a letter penned by Vincent Alexan der, GECOM Commissioner, published in the Stabroek News on the 14th of September, 2022, at page six, under the headline `The GECOM Chair voted against an extension of claims’.

NeilSincerely,Kumar

The PPP/C to push for inclusion and working together –all in the interest of Guyana and the Guyanese people is not new.The PPP/C, prior to 2015, had been working strategical ly for years on a national project, to ensure a more unified Guyanese society. Starting with changes to the Constitution, between 1999 and 2001, there were moves to have the politi cal Opposition more involved in at the legislative level – with changes to the composition of the parliamentary committees, with the Chairmanship rotated between the Opposition and Government; and a hearing system where government minis ters can be summoned to the Parliamentary Sectoral Commit tees, to name a few. The Opposition’s legislative involvement extended to the setting up of the Rights Commissions, the Public Procurement Commission and Service Commissions.

EDITORIAL

Further, the allegations have brought into question reputable state agencies such as the Immigration Department, Guyana Police Force, and the General Registrar’s Office. Hence, there must be a thorough investigation into these serious allegations, and culpable persons must be prosecuted.

PNCR-led Coalition must be called every time it tries to morph matters into a race issue

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) must be willing to hold free and fair elections and win the hearts and confidence of all Guyanese. After the recent 2020 debacle, it is imperative that all GECOM staff members under stand their individual and collective roles, thereby establishing a setting for the delivery of a true and committed, reflective position when this nation has to be engaged on electoral matters.

events that took place during and after the 2nd March 2020 National and Re gional Elections must never be allowed to happen again.

Alexander’s allegations about GECOM Chair are unjustified

At the close of these deliberations, the Chair of GECOM voted in favour of granting the extension of time as requested by APNU + AFC. At no time prior to this did the Chair of GECOM

Dear Editor,

The PNC remnants in the APNU/ AFC are driving the seeming immu nity to rig elections as a continuance to ‘backdoor’ power. The events that unfolded at elections are synonymous with those between 1968 and 1985. They reflect how the PNC was able to use and manipulate the “state machin ery”, particularly the staff at the Election Commission, the army, the Police, along with known terrorist organisations to rig elections during the period.

Compounding their approach to so called ‘representation’ they claim to action is the campaign of lies in the face of well-known facts and reality, as well as a consistent resort of playing the ‘race card’ at every opportunity.

Contextually, the Voters List must not be questioned. Voter turnout in 2015 was 71.36% when the APNU/AFC were declared winners; compared to a turnout of 70.24%. in 2020. In 2015, when the APNU/AFC won, there were no accusa tions about a bloated List. And the same List was used for two Local Government Elections and the Elections in 2020, which they all initially praised.

them of the request of APNU+AFC and soliciting their views. This decision was not done to have the “PPP/C determine whether citizens can realize their rights”, as contended by Com-missioner Alex ander in his letter but was done in the interest of fairness and transparency and to inquire whether other stakeholders political parties experienced similar is sues during the Claims process as those experienced by APNU+AFC. This letter was dispatched by the CEO after the meeting on the 13th of September, 2022.

The debates the political arena if allowed to be directed by the APNU+AFC Coalition would be consumed by divisive rhetoric and would be devoid of focus on policies and the future progress of Guyana and the Guyanese people. The fact that this is so has been evidenced if one reviews the track record of the PNCR-led Coalition.

Guyanese must be fully cognisant of the fact that the APNU/AFC and the three PNC commissioners were quick to say that the 2020 elections were free and fair. They made several attempts to swear in David Granger as the President based on concoctions that the recount exercise exposed. However, according to the true results, the PPP/C was finally declared the inevitable winner.

The APNU/AFC has placed in writing that votes were cast on behalf of deceased persons, that the elections were tainted by multiple voting, and that votes were cast for persons who were overseas on voting day.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, in prior comments on the behaviour of the APNU+AFC Coalition in opposition, said: “…we have an in ept Opposition that can only see race in everything…nothing is about policy direction or future goals…they showed people in five years that they have nothing to offer Guyanese, that they were totally lost in government and now are even more lost in ThisOpposition.”facthaving been recognized, the need to work to ensure that the best interest of Guyanese is severed was un derscored by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during his inaugural address to Parliament on Thursday, February 11, 2021. “Stop being defined by race. Stop being defined by politics. Start being defined by our one nationality, and by our common love for our one country. Let us lift it up together and by doing so let us lift-up each other and ourselves,” the President declared, as he announced plans to establish a One Guyana Commission to action the cause of nation building.

President Ali noted this fact a prior address to Parliament. He had said: “Guyanese expect their elected representatives to work together – even though disagreements may arise – not “pull” the nation apart. He said, “They want us to be partners in serving the country, not adversaries in pulling it apart. That is not to say that they did not expect us to disagree, or that they did not anticipate that we would differ. But they do not expect us to differ at their expense, or to disagree to their detriment. To do so, calls for political maturity that puts, at all times, the national interest and the people’s welfare above all else. The success of our nation depends on it.”

ers were able to bypass polling agents of political parties, with Identification Card or passports. The subsequent de velopment of the strengthening ‘folio mechanism’, which allows the photo comparison of the voter, along with con tinuous registration and political parties functioning and paid scrutineers are all systems in place to give transparency and accountability at elections.

At the end of the day the unchanging fact remains that we are stronger together.

The Guyana Elections Commission must continue to implement positive and transparent mechanisms to win the trust and confidence of the nation.

We acknowledge that the Chair-woman of GECOM, the Honour able Justice of Appeal (retired), Madam Claudette Singh, SC, CCH, is more than capable of defending herself and responding to the criticism and accu sations levelled against her in the said letter, however, we will be remiss in our duties and responsibilities as Commis sioners if we allow the public record to be contaminated with the blatant false and misleading statements peddled in the Forletter.the record, we were all present at GECOM’s statutory meeting on the 13th of September, 2022, when the Chair of GECOM informed the Commissioners

4 4

that the Chief Election Officer received a letter dated the 13th of September, 2022, from A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) requesting an extension of Claims in the ongoing Claims and Objections process. The Com-mission thereafter held discus sions to determine whether the request should be granted.

GECOM’s recent decision to release the 2020 elections documents in light of the APNU/AFC’s allegation of fraud and claim of having evidence to justify a varying result is a step in the right di rection. Such decisions send the correct message to staff and other parties of interest that skullduggery will not be tol erated, while assuring public confidence in itsStatementsprocesses.

On the 14th of September, 2022, GECOM held another meeting of the Commission where deliberations contin ued on the issue of the request by APNU + AFC. It was reported by the Chair of GECOM that the Commission received a response from the PPP/C.

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Dear Editor,

Then after their engagements with the press on E-Day, International Observers, in particular the Organisation of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU), the Carter Center and the Commonwealth, “… lauded the Elections Commission for conducting an almost seamless election.” Again, at this juncture, there was not any complaint from anyone. In fact, none came even as OAS Chief of Mission, Bruce Golding emphasised that “The Mission commends the electoral authorities, including the poll workers, party agents, supervisory personnel and security agents who facilitated the conduct of the vot ing process…”

The following views on the political de velopments in the 1990s are intended to provide young Guyanese (18-25 years) in particular with a broader understanding of the nature of the existing political struggle for stateTheypower.would have gathered enough knowl edge on living conditions under both the PNCR and PPPC administrations in the 2000s, but they would not necessarily have had a good understanding of the evolution of the political struggle in the 1990s, and even before. This is an attempt to cast their focus in thatThedirection.1990period was chosen because of four reasons:

The 1992 elections (free and fair) were held under a Carter-Hoyte brokered agree ment that allowed for (i) the preparation of an accurate voters’ list; (ii) a balanced Election Commission; and (iii) votes to be counted and declared at polling places. Some PNCR mem bers, however, were skeptical. Former Prime Minister Hamilton Green wrote: “I advised President Hoyte to abort the 1992 vote as the lists were clearly flawed, but he refused to, I did not want to create mayhem.”

Dear Editor,

APNU/AFC is at a crossroad. An article in the press read: “APNU+AFC accuses GECOM of failing to act on evidence of voter impersonation during 2020 elections.” The details show that Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, and APNU+AFC Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Roysdale Forde, SC, are saying that there was a “… reluc tance by GECOM to look into the claims of voter fraud submitted by his party.” They add that “Even worse, Chairperson, Justice rtd. Claudette Singh, has declined to act on the ‘irrefutable’ evidence of significant voter impersonation already in GECOM’s posses sion. (and that) This is a blatant dereliction of duty on her part. (and thus) It provides further justification to our call for her to step down.”

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

It was that at “… some polling stations, the six-digit stamps were only stamping four digits…” and that “… the ‘Coalition’ intends to raise its concerns with GECOM in the notso-distant future.” I mean, this mechanical issue was the only negative thing that was pointed out by the then president.

Dear Editor,

Secondly, on May 26, 2020, a very semi nal occurrence took place. This was when For mer Attorney-General Basil Williams, stated that the Recount was illegal, and hence the previous declarations (the fictitious APNU/

The PNCR’s disenchantment over their 1992 electoral defeat was expressed in re sistance and other forms of street violence. Rioters who stormed the Election Centre and the GECOM Headquarters terrified President Jimmy Carter, who was forced to seek the US State Department’s intervention. He had said, “The most personal danger I have felt since leaving the White House was in Guyana in 1992.” Persistent social agitation (making the country ungovernable and use of incendiary rhetoric, ‘slow fiah mo fiah’) exploded in may hem in January 1998 following the victory of the PPPC at the 1997 and the 2001 elections. PNCR-ites claimed that the voters’ list was flawed, but an independent audit by Interna tional IDEA found the list to be 99% accurate.

Finally, and this is the icing on the cake. As it was with the ‘hoarding of their SoPs, so it is again with APNU/AFC, who, after claiming that they have immigration and regis tration data to vindicate their claims of voting impersonation, are incensed that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has voted to release documents requested by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, to investigate the very claims of rigging made by them. The silly excuse is that the information is in the documents that are contained in their election petition. Well, if so be the case, then let GE COOM be the first to give APNU/AFC a taste of victory. After all, if rigging can be proved, then the 2020 poll will be ‘null and void.’ It makes no sense that the very accusation of “… reluctance by GECOM to look into the claims of voter fraud, submitted by APNU/AFC, is the very thing voted against by the opposition GECOM Commissioners-SMH and LOL. They were set to get a good glimpse of how they will prove their point in their elections petition court hearing.

The return of the Guyana Prize for Liter ature is indeed a welcome development. This will certainly provide an incentive for Guyanese to write which seemingly is on the decline.There is nothing more refreshing than a

HydarSincerely,Ally

AFC’s SoPs) were the only legal declarations, which according to him, meant that his then ruling party would have won.

Editor, it is one thing to be ‘playing the fool,’ but quite another to be ‘followers of fools.’ I call on the opposition supporters not to be led by the blind.

We hereby call upon Commissioner Alexander to withdraw the statements and allegations attributed to the Chair of GECOM and to offer an apology.

Return of Guyana Prize for Literature a welcomed development

In the 1980s, the economy was in serious distress. Guyana defaulted on debt service; the country’s GDP had shrunk by 13.19% in 1982 and by 6.9% in 1983; inflation was

40% in 1988, while the public debt of US$1.8 billion in 1988 was spinning out of control; the poverty level was 43%; and internation al reserves were US$26.6 million in 1990 (enough to cover for just 4 weeks’ imports). Guyana’s PNC President, Desmond Hoyte, was forced to broker an IMF Economic Recovery Program (ERP) that required the privatisation of state corporations, removal of trade barriers and price controls, allow the Guyana currency to float, provide for poverty reduction, consolidate and strengthen the Pub lic Sector management, initiate social sector reforms, and improve balance of payments. The implementation of these measures not only dismantled the “command and control” structure of the economy (1968-1992), but also led to the dramatic devaluation of the Guyana dollar: from Gy$3 to US$1 in 1985 to Gy$145 to US$1 in 1993; while 17% of Public Service workers (6,000) were retrenched, along with 7,000 from state-owned corporations. Industri al relations and collective bargaining became a casualty in the process. The country’s access to a concessionary loan under the ESAF (En hanced Structural Adjustment Facility) in the sum of US$72.7 million, which was suspended in 1991 (because the PNC Government could not meet the targets set) was restored in 1999.

The evolution of the political struggle in the 1990s needs to be understood

When the PPP took office in 1992, they had to allocate 50% of foreign exchange (forex) for debt service, and 40% forex were for fuel payments, leaving only 10% to run Government operations. They had to tame inflation, which was 101.5% in 1991, and brought it down to single digit. They increased international reserves at an average annual of US$268.06 (during 1992-1999) from US$191.43 in 1992; they achieved an annual growth rate of 7.3% in the 1990s; succeeded in reducing the public external debt that was US$2.1 billion in 1992 to US$1.196 billion in 2000 mainly through debt relief negotiated with the Paris Club and the World Bank/IMF Enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (EHIPC) and related Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The message from the 1990s was clear: open market reforms saved the country from economic collapse. There is no turning back in the foreseeable future. The debt burden would no longer be an albatross around Guyanese necks. The IMF projects that 4.8% of the country’s revenues would be used to service the external public debt in 2022.

piece of good writing be it prose, poetry or shortThestories.Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports must be commended for making the Prize an annual feature after a lapse of several years.

Topping off all this admission of a wellrun 2020 General and Regional Elections, Former President David Granger, said he was satisfied with the electoral process, despite the fact that A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition had noticed a few anomalies and abuses. What were these?

vote against the extension sought or made any decision that was adverse to the grant of such a Therequest.allegations levelled by Commissioner Alexander against the Chair of GECOM are another unjustified and unwarranted attack on the integrity, impartiality and profession alism of the Chair, all designed and intended to intimidate the Chair. In fact, such tactics are part of a recent scheme of intimidation utilized by several leaders of APNU + AFC and the Commissioners appointed by that party to influence the decisions of the Chair of GECOM.Wefeel compelled to protect the integ

I say again, even up to this point, there was not even a smidgen of suggestion that there was anything like ‘claims of voter fraud.’ Then, in the same vein, Granger himself, who after realising that the Recount would have confirmed APNU/AFC’s dread, that is, a PPP/C win, dodged any commitment to abiding by the outcome of the Recount, saying instead, that “… he and his juniors are insist ing on reverting to the previous declarations (again from fabricated numbers), that he will abide by “any declaration” (meaning the ille gal one concocted by Clairmont Mingo and Keith Lowenfield) coming out of GECOM.

APNU/AFC clutching at straws

To Norton and Forde, and the few fol lowers of these charlatans, I have a few reminders.First,right after polling day, Claudette Singh declared , quite publicly too, that “Guy ana’s General and Regional Elections were free, fair and a major success.” Her informed and in-depth pronouncement explained that this was so “… despite facing a plethora of challenges in the ‘lead up’ to (the) Monday, March 2, General and Regional Elections across the country’s 10 Administrative Re gions.” Of note, was that the Chair expressed gratitude for the extensive work done by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowen field, and his team at the GECOM Secretariat. At this juncture, there was not any grouse.

rity, the independence and the autonomy of GECOM as a Constitutional Com-mission, its Chair and by extension all officers and employees of GECOM’s Secretariat against such intimidatory tactics, obviously designed to undermine its independence.

ManojSaseRegards,GunrajNarayanClementRohee

Alexander’s allegations about... (From page 4)

(1) it signified the restoration of electoral (2)democracy;itended 24 years of authoritarian rule; (3) it marked the end of the downswing (collapse) in the economy (1977-1990); and (4) highlighted the role of debt relief in the country’s economic recovery.

That is why I am I inviting all to revisit “VOTER IMPERSONATION WAS JUST NOT POSSIBLE-LOWENFIELD” on You Tube, and get the full impact of the crass pro paganda and puerile efforts of the opposition; they seem interminably stuck in functional otiosity.They, the crumbling opposition, are only now, at this late hour, claiming that “… voter impersonation (was so wide-spread) in the March 2020 election seriously calls into question the validity of the election results…” I mean if Mingo and Lowenfield, along with Roxanne Myers, were allowed to impose their tabulation, there would have been no talk about any kind of fraud.

Yours truly, H. Singh

Dear Editor,

Editor, it is just too much now. The dalliance, prevarication, subterfuge and all manner of ‘back and forth’ running around from APNU/AFC must be abolished. I am glad that numerical support has vastly waned, and calls for protest are basically falling on many deaf ears.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 5

He also mounted com ments about not trusting the PPP. “We do not trust them…we will continue the political pressure,” he charged.Norton repeated un substantiated claims about discrimination against Af ro-Guyanese, among others. “We know that they have no good intention. The People’s Progressive Party has no good intention,” he said.

with facts and evidence, and whose psychotic disorder manifests in the most irra tional and bizarre manner whenever confronted with the truth. Guyanese everywhere must continue to plug out and cancel this charlatan who hates his own country enough to deliberately ferment race hate, simply because he no longer has opportunities to ply his swindling trade in Guyana.”TheAPNU+AFC Coa lition and aligned elements have been repeatedly called out for attempting to stir tensions and division among Guyanese people, using un founded claims and state ments.

its persistent play of the race card.She said, “At a time when we are taking the trajectory of our country forward; when we are seeing transforma tion…all of this is taking place and all you can do is drag it down to race. That is the only flag you have. The only flag you wave is race…. the Coalition has stuck loyal ly to your history from 1954 and onwards - of divide and rule in Guyana. That is un fortunate. I don’t accept that the youth don’t know about these things. They are not obtuse…whether the PNC/ RIG/ APNU/ AFC comes to term with past and steps on the road to national unity, you will be found, if you don’t join, left alone….you have a Teixeirachoice.”charged that the PPP/C will push forward with President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s announced One Guy ana initiative, despite the naysayers in the Coalition camp. She said, “The attempt to weaken any embryonic efforts at building a One Guyana will not succeed… efforts at building a ‘One Guyana’- a ‘One Guyana’ for all of us as a people where we will work towards equi table distribution of goods and services; where we will work for the development of the regions of our country… that is our goal and if you don’t agree with it, I’m sorry. You’re lost.”

WPA Executive member, Tacuma Ogunseye, at a re cent public engagement said, “The time for talk is over. The PPP only understands pressure. The PPP will only crack when we beat sense into their head…anything short of will not give us the kind of results that we want.”

In a call for “confronta tion” the PNCR-led Coa lition-aligned Working Peo ple’s Alliance (WPA) contin ues to ramp up rhetoric, see in used by the Coalition over the past few months.

In recent comments, he said, “It is such a good thing that delusional, cowardly, and racist Guyanese like Rickford Burke who thrives on conjuring and spewing poisonous racism daily, have no political constituency nor legitimate leadership sway over anyone sensible, in or out of Guyana.

He added, “Simply put, Rickford Burke it seems, would stoop to the lowest lows of bigotry in his vile attempts to detract Guyanese and international partners from the rapid economic and social transformation result ing from our government’s development agenda, which is already creating lasting empowerment for every citi zen across all our administra tiveHeregions.isthe worst of cow ards who hide when chal lenged to represent his views

APNU+AFC Coalition and aligned elements to “fer ment” divisions, according

PNCR-led Coalition persist with irresponsible rhetoric

RACE CARD

as a counter to President Ali’s ‘One Guyana’ agenda that will effectively put racists like him and his enablers out of business,” he charged.

Guyanese have recog nized the danger in the barefaced efforts of the

Right-thinking Guyanese across the country are rejecting Coalition's attempt at division

6 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Government, Gail Teixeira, in prior com ments had blasted the AP NU+AFC Coalition, as well as members of the former Coalition government, for

ment. I said that in August and I am saying it again. A leader does not have to tell you how to undermine the government. There are many ways…undermine the government and continue to do so.” At the same forum, Hinds went further to call for Indian-owned businesses to be boycotted. He said, “They were enablers and they are enablers….it is your money that is spending on Regent Street that they does take and give to the PPP as contribu tions for elections so they can get into government… undermine the economic partners of the PPP.”

them… that is the reality of thisJonescountry.”was not the least of the Coalition Parliamen tarians with such divisive rhetoric.

Prior to that, while ad dressing a small group of protestors at Victoria, East Coast Demerara in August 2021, Hinds said: “In what ever way you can undermine this (PPP/C) government. Undermine this government in whatever way you can. I can’t tell you how to do it, but ‘hint to Baniba mek Quashiba tek notice’ (Old African-Guyanese prov erb meaning actions to hint something will result in awareness). Undermine this government!”

During the protest on Monday (June 4, 2022), lead er of the PNCR and the Coa lition, Aubrey Norton, made irresponsible allegations. “I wouldn’t rule out that they (the PPP/C) gave the instruction to kill this young man so they get something to distract people with…I’ve been in politics long enough to know that when they bring these things to side-track us, we will stay focused…this struggle has to continue,” Norton said, without any evidence, referring to the matter where three Guyana Police Officers were charged over the death of Quindon Bacchus on Tuesday (June 5, 2022).Also, despite the fact that the recommendation for charges to be laid was made on Monday (June 4, 2022) by the Police Complaints Authority, which was inde pendently investigating the matter, Norton claimed that there seems to be a plot to cover the “Indo-Guyanese” ranks – a claim made without evidence. “If they say that this was something carried out by a particular (Police) Unit, then the head of that Unit should know…you are not charging the Head of the Unit…we are seeing, within

CALL FOR GOV’T TO BE UNDERMINED

Meanwhile the WPA’s David Hinds is also among those calling for instability in Guyana, since the AP NU+AFC Coalition was vot ed out of Office in 2020.

On November 22, 2021, Hinds had said: “I think the time has come to defend ourselves…it is time for ac tion…I am also repeating my call to undermine the govern

this, an attempt to cover some Indo-Guyanese who were involved…they are go ing to protect them because they are Indo-Guyanese and I say that without fear of contradiction,” Norton said.

“Deprived of the political access afforded to him by the PNC and its Coalition partners during their tenure in Government, and opportu nities for hoodwinking unsus pecting donor agencies and

to People’s Progressive Par ty (PPP) Central Commit tee member and Minister, Kwame McKoy.

The most repeated claim is about young Afro-Guy anese men being killed. However, in November 2019, the 32-page findings of an investigate report by the independently–run Sta broek News, exposed the falsehoods peddled by the APNU+AFC Coalition about the crime wave and disman tled the notion that young Af ro-Guyanese men were killed indiscriminately. While, the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coa lition had claimed that -some 400 young Afro-Guyanese died as a result of extra-judi cial killings during the crime wave. However, the Stabroek News investigative report pointed out that some 420 persons were killed between February 2002 and Septem ber 2006 – 151 murdered by

Wildly irresponsible claims – all worded along lines to stir tensions among Guyanese – continue to be uttered by leaders of the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Co alition.Coalition Parliamen tarian, Christopher Jones, speaking to some of the protestors, recently, said, “Black youngsters go to a commercial bank for a loan and they are denied. An East Indian person, the same age, got the same thing like the young black man, go to the same commercial bank, but he getting the loan….that is the reality of this country…. you go to predominantly East Indian villages in this coun try and you would see rapid development, nice roads, nice street lights…but you go predominantly the African villages – bad roads, poor drainage, no street lights, no recreational facilities for

ordinary Guyanese of funds he purportedly collects under false pretense, Burke now sits on his self-righteous pedestal in New York building smoke screens and ranting lies daily to try to deflect attention from his shady character and track record of deception and theft, which the PPP/C has irrefut ablyAccordingexposed.” to McKoy, the controversial figure is actively working to divide Guyanese. “Burke has made it his mission, apparently, his sole purpose in life now, to show as much contempt as he can in his bitterness towards his own country, now at its transformative juncture, as he tries to ferment race hate

bandits, 30 security officers were killed and 239 were killed during confrontations with the police and in un explained circumstances. It added that the drug trade was a major part of the period in question. After the report was published, comments along this line subsidised, but has returned and are now greatly exaggerated with the claim being almost 2,000 young Afro-Guyanese died under the former PPP/C gov ernment.PPP/C leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, among oth ers, were also referred to by Norton by derogatory terms, including “house slaves”, in his comments. “They are basically house slaves, do ing the bidding of the PPP,” NortonNorton’srailed.comments were made with the controversial David Hinds at his right hand.

South Georgetown (Sub) MandelaChurchOffice,RegistrationTransfiguration(Annex)Avenue.

Registration Officer (Augustus Outar) Brandwagt Sari to Gibraltar/Fyrish, Corentyne including New Amsterdam and surrounding areas Part of the Registration district for Region No. 6.

South Georgetown including the areas of Agricola, Ruimveldt, La Penitence, Tucville, Albouystown, Lodge, Stabroek and their surrounding areas Part of the Registration District for Region No. 4.

The Registration District for Region No. 1 or the Barima/Waini Region OfficerRegistration(AndreThomas)

The DistrictRegistrationforRegion No. 2 or the SupenaamPomeroon/Region

Public Road, Nouvelle Flanders Registration Office, WD 23 Public Road Nouvelle Flanders, West Coast Demerara

The RegionDemeraraNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion4orthe/Mahaica

The areas of the East Coast of Demerara from Industry to Mahaica River (Western Portion) including St. Cuthbert's Mission Part of the Registration District for Region No. 4.

The Region.Potaro/No.DistrictRegistrationforRegion8ortheSiparuni

Parika Registration Office, Hydronie East Bank Essequibo

Part of the Registration District for Region No. 3.

Registration Officer (Shefern February)

Macedonia to Corentyne River including Corriverton, Crabwood Creek/Molesen, Canje Creek and their surrounding areas Part of the Registration District for Region No. 6.

RegistrationAssistant Officer (Simone Jervis)

Kurutuku to Packase/Tiger Eping to Takatu/Tipara including Bartica (Sub Region 1) Part of the Registration District for Region No. 7.

THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE [LEGAL SUPPLEMENT] ─ B 15TH AUGUST, 2022948

Mackenzie Registration Office, Upper Flat, 49 Republic Mackenzie,Avenue,Linden.

Sparman)OfficerRegistration(Andrea

Mahaicony Registration Office, Blenheim, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara

The DistrictRegistrationforRegion No. 9 or the Upper Takutu/ Upper Region.Essequibo

The DistrictRegistrationforRegion No. 2 or the SupenaamPomeroon/Region

Walton Hall including Anna Regina and the surrounding areas to Supenaam River and its tributaries (Sub Region 11) Part of Registrationthe District for Region No. 2

Tucville,SouthRuimveldt Gardens, East/North East La Penitence, East / West Ruimveldt.

Registration District Registration Officer/Assistant Registration Officer

The RegionBerbice/CorentyneNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion6ortheEast

Clarke)OfficerRegistration(Gordon Stewartville on the West Coast of Demerara to Pouderoyen on the West Bank of Demerara (Parts of Sub Regions II & III)

Vishnu Persaud

(RoxanneOfficerRegistrationSmith)

Harris)OfficerRegistration(Trevor Moruca, Kumaka, Santa Rosa and surrounding areas (Sub Region 11) Part of the Registration District for Region No. 1

Part of the Registration District for Region No. 3.

Alleyne)OfficerRegistration(Rensford

Pomeroon River Right Bank Manawarin and surrounding areas including Charity and all the areas to Paradise on the Essequibo Coast (Sub Region 1) Part of the Registration District for Region No. 2

Moblissa on the Linden Soesdyke Highway including the areas from Timehri to Eccles on the East DemeraraBank

Mabaruma, Kumaka, Hosororo, Port Kaituma, Matthews Ridge, Arakaka and surrounding areas (Sub Region 1) Part of the Registration district for Region No. 1.

La Grange Registration Office, Lot 38 Section E, La Grange, West Bank Demerara

North Georgetown including the areas of Kingston, Cummingsburg, Queenstown, Campbellville, Prashad Nagar, Kitty, Sophia, Liliendaal, Pattersen, Cummings Lodge, and their surrounding areas Part of the Registration District for Region No. 4.

BabbOfficerRegistration(DeniseCummings)

Coldingen Registration Office, Former GUYSUCO Office, Coldingen, East Coast Demerara.

Registration District Registration Officer/Assistant Registration Officer Registration Area or Part Thereof Registration Office /Sub Office

The RegionMahaica/BerbiceNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion5orthe

Anna Regina Registration Office, Takuba Lodge Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast

South RegistrationGeorgetownOffice, Croal & Smyth Streets Georgetown.

The RegionDemeraraNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion4orthe/Mahaica

Dated this 15th day of August, 2022

THE

Stephens)OfficerRegistration(Lynette

First Savannah/Cook Tom, (Right Bank Mahaicony River) to Bank Creek/Yakata Basin including Abary to Berbice River and all the areas to Blairmont and the surrounding areas Part of the Registration district for Region No. 5.

MillerOfficerRegistration(Michelle)

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 7 THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE [LEGAL SUPPLEMENT] ─ B 15TH AUGUST, 2022944

Moruca Registration Office, Multi Purpose Building, Kumaka Road

Annai Registration Office, Annai North Savannahs Rupununi

Mackenzie Registration Office, Upper Flat, 49 Republic Mackenzie,Avenue,Linden.

Officer

Walton Hall including Anna Regina and the surrounding areas to Supenaam River and its tributaries (Sub Region 11) Part of Registrationthe District for Region No. 2

St. Cuthbert Mission (Eastern Portion) to Fortitude /Chance Mahaicony including Mahaica to Abary and their surrounding areas Part of the Registration District for Region No. 5.

Barima Head Matakai, Masowah, Matthews Ridge, Arakaka, Sebai Kaituma, Barima Head Whanamparu, Sebai, Little Anabise Part of the Registration Area

Mariaba/Dehalibana RegionofWismarHill,touliMakouria/DadawarinDallawalla/KataptotoWisrocParkDorabisi/WaimibisiCanisterFallsincludingBlueberrySilvertown,OneMile,HalfMile,andsurroundingareasParttheRegistrationDistrictforNo.10.

Parika Registration Office, Hydronie East Bank Essequibo

The RegionDemeraraNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion4ortheMahaica

Bartica Registration Office, First Street and Sixth Avenue, Bartica

North ChurchRegistrationGeorgetownOffice,Street.

Public Road, Nouvelle Flanders Registration Office, WD 23 Public Road Nouvelle Flanders, West Coast Demerara

Moruca Registration Office, Multi Purpose Building, Kumaka Road

Essequibo Islands and surrounding areas including Kariti, Lower Makouria (Right Bank) Bonasika, East Bank Essequibo and the surrounding areas to Uitvlugt on the West Coast of Demerara (Sub Region I & Part of Sub Region II) Part of the Registration District for Region No. 3

Coldingen Registration Office, Former GUYSUCO Office, Coldingen, East Coast Demerara.

The Region.Cuyuni/MazaruniNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion7orthe

Muruwawe/Ohnopi to Marupa/ Dukwarri Jawalla to Philipai including Kamarang and the surrounding areas (Sub Region 11) Part of the Registration District Regionfor No. 7.

Monkey Mountain to Echerek/Arnik including Kato, Paramakatoi and surrounding areas (Sub Region 1) Part of the Registration District Regionfor No. 8.

Singh)(DoodnauthOfficerRegistration

THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE [LEGAL SUPPLEMENT] ─ B 15TH AUGUST, 2022 947

Bamia/Kara Kara (North) to Watooka Square, Shirabaru Right Bank Karaduni River to Torani including Mc Kenzie, Retrieve, Washer Pond, Kwakwani and surrounding areas Part of the Registration District for Region No. 10.

THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE [LEGAL SUPPLEMENT] ─ B 15TH AUGUST, 2022948

(RoxanneOfficerRegistrationSmith)

Charity Registration Office, PomeroonCharity,River

Registration District Registration Officer/Assistant Registration Officer

Registration Officer (Shefern February)

The BerbiceUpperNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion10ortheDemerara/Region.

The DemeraraIslands/WestEssequiboNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion3ortheRegion.

Bel Air,Bel Air Springs, Campbellville, Prashad Nagar, Sophia, Liliendaal, Pattersen, Cummings Lodge, and their surrounding areas

Registration Area or Part Thereof Registration Office /Sub Office

Mabaruma, Kumaka, Hosororo, Port Kaituma, Matthews Ridge, Arakaka and surrounding areas (Sub Region 1) Part of the Registration district for Region No. 1.

Fort RegistrationWellingtonOffice, Fort Wellington, WCB

The RegionBerbice/CorentyneNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion6ortheEast

Registration District Registration Officer/Assistant Registration Officer

Port RegistrationKaitumaSub Office, Port Kaituma Water Front, Port Kaituma

OfficerRegistration(AndreThomas)

Dipchand)GrenionOfficerRegistration(Natasha

The RegionBerbice/No.DistrictRegistrationforRegion6ortheEastCorentyne

The Registration District for Region No. 1 or the Barima/Waini Region

Registration Area or Part Thereof Registration Office /Sub Office

Mabaruma Registration Office, Mabaruma Compound, North West District, Region No. 1

Kamarang Registration Office, Kamarang upper Mazaruni

RegionDemerara/No.DistrictRegistrationforRegion4ortheMahaica

Registration Officer (Dwayne Marco)

RegistrationAssistant Officer (Catherine Adams)

The Region.Cuyuni/No.DistrictRegistrationforRegion7ortheMazaruni

Registration Officer (Glendon Fredericks)

Ewang/Ekuraparu to Siparuni/Kuratoka including Tumatumari/ Mahdia and surrounding areas (Sub Region 11) Part of the registration District for Region No. 8.

The EssequiboTakutu/No.DistrictRegistrationforRegion9ortheUpperUpperRegion.

Lethem Registration Office, Lot 2 Park Avenue, Lethem Rupununi.

The areas of the East Coast of Demerara from Industry to Mahaica River (Western Portion) including St. Cuthbert's Mission Part of the Registration District for Region No. 4.

Mackenzie Registration Office, Lower Flat, 49 Republic Mackenzie,Avenue,Linden.

Registration District Registration Officer/Assistant Registration Officer

Vishnu

Mackenzie Registration Office, Lower Flat, 49 Republic Mackenzie,Avenue,Linden.

Registration District Registration Officer/Assistant Registration Officer

The RegionDemeraraNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion4ortheMahaica

Industry Chateau Margot Better Hope Registration Sub Office, 144 Sukhai Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara

of Registration

RegistrationAssistant Officer (Salema Ghanie)

Malgre Tout on the West Bank of Demerara to The Belle/Charters Demerara River and surrounding areas (Part of Sub Region III) Part of the Registration District for Region No. 3.

THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE [LEGAL SUPPLEMENT] ─ B 15TH AUGUST, 2022946

Assistant Registration Officer Duncan)(Carolyn

Registration Area or Part Thereof Registration Office /Sub Office

Registration District Registration Officer/Assistant Registration Officer

(OfficerRegistrationPamarysaBobb)

Registration Area or Part Thereof Registration Office /Sub Office

Elliott)OfficerRegistration(Krishana Bamia/Kara Kara (North) to Watooka Square, Shirabaru Right Bank Karaduni River to Torani including Mc Kenzie, Retrieve, Washer Pond, Kwakwani and surrounding areas Part of the Registration District for Region No. 10.

Dipchand)GrenionOfficerRegistration(Natasha

The DemeraraIslands/WestEssequiboNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion3ortheRegion.

Corriverton Registration Office, C 230 Stelling Road Government Compound, Springlands, Corriverton, Berbice.

The Region.Potaro/No.DistrictRegistrationforRegion8ortheSiparuni

Melville)OfficerRegistration(Carlos Arawananau Powua/Baicwau to Kwaimatta/Karanabo, Upper Awarikuru/Moruiwau, Left Bank (Rupununi River) Katiwau (Right Bank Rupununi River) to Achiwuib including Moco, Aishalton and surrounding areas Part of the Registration District for Region No. 9.

Alleyne)OfficerRegistration(Rensford

Persaud Commissioner of Registration

The RegionDemeraraNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion4orthe/Mahaica

Barima Head Matakai, Masowah, Matthews Ridge, Arakaka, Sebai Kaituma, Barima Head Whanamparu, Sebai, Little Anabise Part of the Registration Area

Elliott)OfficerRegistration(Krishana

Harris)OfficerRegistration(Trevor

Soesdyke Registration Sub Office, Soesdyke, East DemeraraBank

Assistant Registration Officer Duncan)(Carolyn

Registration Officer (Sunil Ramdial) Kilcoy to Tarlogie, including Black Bush Polder Settlement Part of the Registration District for Region No. 6.

Registration Area or Part Thereof Registration Office /Sub Office

Port RegistrationKaitumaSub Office, Port Kaituma Water Front, Port Kaituma

Clarke)OfficerRegistration(Gordon Stewartville on the West Coast of Demerara to Pouderoyen on the West Bank of Demerara (Parts of Sub Regions II & III)

The Registration Registration St. Cuthbert Mission (Eastern Mahaicony Registration

The BerbiceUpperNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion10ortheDemerara/Region.

REGISTRATION OFFICES AND SUB-OFFICES FOR CLAIMS AND OBJECTIONS

Registration Area or Part Thereof Registration Office /Sub Office

Pancham)OfficerRegistration(Laikharam

The BerbiceUpperNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion10ortheDemerara/Region.

Moblissa Garden of Eden

North RegistrationGeorgetownSubOffice 49 William and Sheriff Streets, Campbellville.

Mahdia Registration Office, Mahdia.

The BerbiceUpperNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion10ortheDemerara/Region.

The RegionMahaica/BerbiceNo.DistrictRegistrationforRegion5orthe

RegistrationAssistant Officer (Salema Ghanie)

Part of the Registration District for Region No. 4

Charity Registration Office, PomeroonCharity,River

New Amsterdam Registration Office, Kaitano Building, Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam Berbice.

Abraham)OfficerRegistration(John Karasabai to DistrictareasincludingPakani/SmsyhsRupununiYupukai/MapariAranaputa,(RightBankRiver)toKoneshenEssequiboRiverAnnaiandsurroundingPartoftheRegistrationforRegionNo.9.

OFFICIAL GAZETTE [LEGAL SUPPLEMENT] ─ B 15TH AUGUST, 2022 945

Pomeroon River Right Bank Manawarin and surrounding areas including Charity and all the areas to Paradise on the Essequibo Coast (Sub Region 1) Part of the Registration District for Region No. 2

Gossai)(BridhnauthOfficerRegistration

Paramakatoi Registration Office, Paramakatoi North Pakaraimas

RegistrationAssistant Officer Bowman(Alexandra)

THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE [LEGAL SUPPLEMENT] ─ B 15TH AUGUST, 2022944

Registration Officer (Ganesh Persaud)

Registration Officer (Delon Clarke)

Mabaruma Registration Office, Mabaruma Compound, North West District, Region No. 1

Singh)(DoodnauthOfficerRegistration

Moruca, Kumaka, Santa Rosa and surrounding areas (Sub Region 11) Part of the Registration District for Region No. 1

Dated this 15th day of August, 2022

Commissioner

Diamond Registration Office, Area 'M' Diamond, East. Bank. Demerara.

Whim Registration Office, Station Street, Whim, Corentyne, Berbice.

Industry Chateau Margot Better Hope Registration Sub Office, 144 Sukhai Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara

Anna Regina Registration Office, Takuba Lodge Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast

reiterated our previous po sition that GECOM should conduct a review of its con duct of the 2020 elections as the precursor to making any submission on electoral reform.”OnMay 17, 2022, during a news conference, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, called for a com prehensive review of what took place in March 2020.

The formal administra tive division of Region Four into four districts - East Bank and East Coast De merara and North and South Georgetown - to allow for better management is also addressed by the proposed amendments. “It will be for malised now so that you can have more people now man aging those areas because they have large numbers of voters. We are not dividing Region Four. It’s just for admin purposes so that it can be better managed,” he said.

Removal of persons from the Voters’ List must be done on legal grounds. Death is one such legal ground.

However, it requires death certificates to be sent to the Guyana Elections Commis sion (GECOM) by the Gen eral Registrar’s Office for this to be done. Where this is not done, relatives with the death certificate can take advantage of the Claims and Objections period to make file an objection and have their relative removed from the Voters’ List.

to be included in the Ballot Boxes; the posting of all Statements of Polls (SOPs) on GECOM’s website; the publication of the procedure for tabulation of election results; and mechanisms to ensure that the tabulation process is a public one.

REVIEW AMENDMENTSBEFORE

Notably, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in response stated that the call from the Coalition camp for a comprehensive review of what took place in March 2020 before electoral re forms are addressed is noth ing but a delay tactic. “Re call that every report from the international Election Observer Missions, includ ing the CARICOM team, detailed what took place at the March 2020 Elections –every Guyanese is aware of what took place during the March 2020 electoral pro cess, civil society is aware, the international community is aware. It would seem that the only ignorant party, by their own claim, is the PNCR/APNU/AFC,” the party said in a statement is sued on May 18, 2022.

The PPP made clear that the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition is the only party with an interest in keeping our electoral laws vague and ambiguous, hence the delay tactics.

The APNU+AFC Co alition, in addition to its GECOM Commissioners, have maintained a position of calling for a review of the March 2020 Elections, be fore any legislative changed are Inadvanced.astatement, on May 10, 2022, the Coalition-nom inated GECOM Commis sioners said, “We further

Opposition Parliamentarian and General Secretary of the PNCR, Geeta Chandan-Ed mond, who was with Norton for the press conference, said, “A thorough review by GECOM of its performance in managing recent elec tions. The plethora of faults and irregularities (intended and unintended) in the 2020 elections alone must not be brushed under the carpet to resurface again. They must be swept out for good. To achieve this, a thorough and honest review must be conducted as a necessary first step. Here, we agree with GECOM Commission er Vincent Alexander that GECOM itself must not conduct such a review but should commission it.”

ra, have assured that pub lic consultations have been completed.Jagdeoexplained that the amendments will address several things, including reducing the discretionary powers of the Chief Elec tions Officer.

The proposed amend ment to the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) seeks to ensure that it is mandatory for dead persons to be removed from the list at periodic intervals. He said, “Within the time specified in the amendments, there must be a collaboration between the General Registrar’s of fice, that is the person who keeps all the death records. There must be collabora tion between that office and GECOM for the purpose of comparingNotably,records.”inlate August 2022, GECOM, while tak ing note of the public opin ions that were expressed about the Preliminary List of Electors and the removal of names from the same,

8 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022

He underscored the fact that the PPP/C has always said that names can and must only be removed from the electors’ list in accordance with the law and rejected the Coalition’s contention that the PPP/C is objecting to the removal of dead persons from the Nandlalllist. said, “Let me reject that contention unre servedly, the PPP has always said that the persons who are on that list must be removed based upon provisions in the law that relate to removal of persons from the list.”

said the Commission cannot act contrary to the legal provisions in the National Registration Act (NRA).

During the public con sultations, the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition was notably absent.

OPA amendments to ad dress periodic removal of dead persons from voters’ list –ContinuedNandlall ramblings from the Aubrey Norton-led APNU+AFC Coalition, ig nore reality and facts, ac cording to Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, who reminded that the the proposed amend ments and electoral reforms will see the removal of dead persons from the voters’ list taking place periodically.

The Parliament of Guy ana is currently in recess, but after October 10, 2022, the PPP/C Government will be moving to the House with amendments to ROPA, according to Jagdeo.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, noted that the government’s proposed ROPA amendment, as it relates to removing dead persons from the Voters’ List, must be a transparent process. “We want to put that into law, so every time they remove dead people, they must share this with all the parties in Guyana and publish it in the newspapers, not just do it in GECOM on their own,” he said.

ELECTORALPROPOSED LAWS FOR PARLIAMENT

Also, to addressed is the need for all manuals and training materials used by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to be made public three months before any elections to en sure that they are accessed by civil society, the inter national community and the media, etc. He explained that this will ensure that stakeholders are clear on the role of GECOM staffers, as well as the procedure and rules to be followed. “This way, there is no room for doubt on how the elections are to be conducted,” he said.The other amendments address the identification of polling places long before Election Day; the identifi cation of all materials to be retained by Polling Agents and which documents are

“These are all issues that would be addressed to strengthen the electoral pro cesses of the future,” Jagdeo added.Jagdeo stated that he is confident that the proposed amendments to ROPA will be passed before the hosting of Local Government Elec tions, which are expected be fore the end of the year. “As soon as Parliament comes out of recess and hopefully before Local Government Elections,” he Amendmentssaid.to the Rep resentation of the People Act, both the substantive act and the regulations, have been in public circulation since November 2021, after being released by the Minis try of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.

Coalition’s claims on removing deceased persons from Voters’ List rubbished electoral laws likely to be passed before LGE

‒ Proposed

At a prior news con ference, he disclosed that both Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixei

GECOM added, “Persons who are required to update their registration records such as changes or corrections to their names and occupation, or to apply for a transfer in relation to their addresses are advised that those transac tions would also be facilitated during this exercise. The relevant source documents such as an original Marriage Certificate, Deed Poll with Birth Certificate, or a new Birth Certificate reflecting the changes must be presented in the case of an application for a change or correction.”

CEO asked to further revise workplan for LGE, again

ELECTION WATCH: LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Guyana Elections Com mission (GECOM) has extended the ongoing Claims and Objections Exercise by seven (7) days, to afford eligible persons further op portunities to participate in the Personsprocess. who are desirous of making a Claim to be included in the Official List of Electors (OLE) have until Wednesday, September 21, 2022 to do Personsso.who intend to object to the inclusion of names in the OLE have until Sunday, September 25, 2022 to submit their objection(s).

Local Government Elec tions were constitutionally due at the end of 2021.

Once the Commission approves its work plan, it would then indicate its readiness to the Minis ter of Local Government and Regional Development and the proposed date. The Minister would then, on the advice of GECOM, an nounce the date for Local Government Elections.

line of the Commission and the Chief Elections Officer was asked to review it.

for the hosting of LGE this year. This money is part of an overall $4.1 billion allo cation to GECOM’s in Bud get 2022 and was examined and approved by the Na tional Assembly during its consideration of the 2022 Budget Estimates. Included in the $783 million for LGE is a more-than-$300 million increase in “other goods and services purchased”, which jumped from $250.8

“In this regard, all eli gible persons who intend to make a Claim are required to visit the GECOM Reg istration Office responsible for their area of residence with the applicable source document(s) such as original Birth Certificate, valid Pass port, Adoption Certificate, or Naturalization Certificate /

CLAIMS OBJECTIONSAND PROCESS

LGE are constitutionally due every two years in Guyana and were last held in 2018.GECOM is currently engaged in a Claims and Objections process, which started on August 22, 2022 and will end on September 18, More2022. than $750 million has been set aside in Budget 2022 for the preparations to be undertaken by GECOM

In the second proposal, on August 30, 2022, Per saud said the earliest date on which the GECOM can hold Local Government Elections (LGE) February 13, He2023.has now been tasked with fine turning the work plan to reflect a date before the end of January 2023.

The Guyana Elec tions Commission’s (GECOM) Claims and Ob jections, which commenced on August 22, 2022, contin ues and has recorded 4,821 transactions to date, exclud ing Relativeobjections.to Claims, as of Wednesday (September 14, 2022):

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 9 9

During the Claims and Objections period, any per

• 1,557 requested transfers; and

GECOM extends ongoing Claims and Objection Exercise by seven days

• 2,367 persons used the op portunity to make a claim that they were not regis tered.

Objections can be made by an Elector who is listed in the same Division list or Sub Division list in which the person being objected to is listed.Objections can also be made by approved Scru tineers of Political Parties provided that any such Scru tineer has monitoring respon sibilities for the Division or Sub Division in which the person being objected to is listed.The relevant original doc uments such as an original Death Certificate must be presented at the time of the hearing to support the basis upon which the objection is made.The process ends on Sep tember 25, 2022.

Further, objections against the inclusion of names in the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) can be tendered to the Registration Officer of the Registration Area.Objection(s) can be sub mitted by an Elector who is listed in the same Division list / Sub Division list in which the person being ob jected to is Objectionslisted.can also be made by approved Scru tineers of Political Parties provided that any such Scru tineer has monitoring respon sibilities for the Division / Sub Division in which the

Region Four recorded the highest numbers of trans actions, with 1,382 transac tions, followed by Region Three with 1,153 transactions and Region Six with 585

son who will be 18 years and older by the October 31, 2022, and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, or naturalisation, or is a citi zen from a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more, can make a Claim on or before Septem ber 21, 2022 to be included on the OLE, providing that he/she was never previously registered.Persons desirous of mak ing a Claim to be included in the OLE are required to visit the GECOM Registration Of fice responsible for their area of residence with the appli cable source document such as original Birth Certificate, valid Passport, Adoption Certificate, or Naturalisation Certificate or Certificate of Registration to be registered

The Commission has re

The Commission is urg

First, Persaud had pro posed a date of December 12, 2022, for the polls. However, this date was out side of the statutory dead

OBJECTIONS

Existing registrants are also advised to check the Preliminary List of Electors posted at two (2) promi nent buildings in their re spective Electoral Division / Sub-Division, at the Regis tration Office responsible for their areas of residence, at GECOM’s Head Office, or on GECOM’s website at www. gecom.org.gy to verify the accuracy of their registration information.Formore information and clarification, persons can visit GECOM’s website at www. gecom.org.gy or call 2250277-9 / 223-9653.

CLAIMS

Certificate of Registration to be registered,” GECOM said in a statement on Wednesday (September 14, 2022).

for inclusion.Personswho are required to update their registration records such as changes or corrections to their names and occupation, or to apply for a transfer concerning their addresses are advised that those transactions would also be facilitated during this exercise.Therelevant source doc uments such as an original Marriage Certificate, Deed Poll with Birth Certificate, or a new Birth Certificate reflecting the changes must be presented in the case of an application for a change or correction.Objections against the inclusion of names in the PLE can be tendered to the Registration Officer of the Registration Area.

ing all eligible persons to ensure that they use this op portunity to be registered for inclusion in the Revised List of Electors (RLE) and ultimately the Official List of Electors (OLE) to be eligible to vote. “Persons are also encouraged to object to the inclusion of the name of any person whom they believe should not be on the list, based on the legal provisions. Persons who were registered in the recently concluded Cycle of Continuous Regis tration need not reapply to be registered,” the Commission said.This exercise, according to a GECOM press release, will be conducted at all of GECOM’s permanent Reg istration Offices in the ten Administrative Regions.

minded that persons who were never previously reg istered can make a Claim, provided that he/she is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, or naturalization, or is a citizen from a Com monwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more and will be 18 years and older by October, 2022.

• 897 requested changes and corrections;

GECOM records over 4,800 transactions as Claims and Objections continues

million in 2021 to $575.9 million in the 2022 budget. Local Government Elec tions were deferred, among other challenges, because of the absence of key senior GECOM staffers, including a Chief Elections Officer, given that the former CEO, Keith Lowenfield, was fired and placed before the courts on changes related to public misconduct and electoral fraud.

he Guyana Elec tions Commission’s (GECOM) Chief Elections Officer was this week asked to further revised his work plan for the holding of Lo cal Government Elections (LGE) to reflect a date no later than January 30, 2023.

person being objected to is listed. The relevant original document(s) such as an orig inal Death Certificate must be presented at the time of the hearing to support the basis upon which the objection is made.“In view of the foregoing, the Commission is urging all eligible persons to ensure that they use this extension to ensure that they are registered for inclusion in the Revised List of Electors (RLE) and ultimately the Official List of Electors (OLE) as it is a prerequisite to be eligible to vote. Persons are also encour aged to object to the inclusion of the name of any person whom they believe should not be in the list, based on the legal provisions,” the Commission said.

transactions.Replacement of national identification cards and re takes of photographs were alsoRelativeaddressed.to Objections, as of Wednesday (September 14, 2022), just over 15 has beenTherecoded.Claims and Objec tions process allows persons to, among other things, object to any dead persons that may be on the Preliminary List of ElectorsOnce(PLE).theprocess is com pleted the Preliminary List of Electors will be used to generate the Official List of Electors (OLE).

10 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 202214 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday, September 15, 2022

However, there have been longstanding calls for Guyana to get better terms in any contracts with future exploration. Due to the ac celerated development of the Stabroek Block, which is owned by Exxon, Guyana has gained massive attention for its oil finds.

Remaining oil blocks to be auctioned by month end – Jagdeo

tries are on the lower end while countries like Norway and others can get as much as 75 per cent of the total take compared to Guyana, which is currently getting just over 50 per cent.

Guyana currently has a Production Sharing Agree ment (PSA) with Exxon Mo bil, currently the country’s only oil producing company, which sees the country get ting 50 per cent of profit oil and a two per cent royalty.

Guyana currently has an estimated recoverable re source of 11 billion oil equiv alent barrels in the Stabroek Block, which is currently the country’s only oil producing block. The block is owned by ExxonMobil, which has 45 per cent stake, in partnership with Hess (30 per cent) and China’s CNOOC (25 per cent).

At a prior news confer ence, Jagdeo said, working out the right fiscal terms that will ensure Guyana gets the best deal in the sale of the remaining oil blocks, is one of a number of fac tors that has influenced the Government to delay the oil block auction, which is now slated to happen before the end of the year. Other fac tors still being worked out include decisions on wheth er the Government will keep some of the oil blocks for a national oil company, how the Government will divide-up the blocks and a decision on whether or not existing companies in Guyana, particularly Exxon Mobil, will be allowed to participate in the auction and if they do participate whether or not there will be a limit to the number of blocks any one entity would be allowed to have. “That is what is currently ongo ing within the Government circles. The technical work is being done, we’re getting some external help to do all of this preparation so that when we go to auction we can maximise the benefit to the country,” he explained.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 11 11

The government, he said, has also started to study the spectrum in relation to the takes by other oil and gas-producing countries. Ac cording to him, some coun

The auction of the re maining oil blocks will be launched by the end of September and the process is expected to conclude in early 2023, according to Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Tuesday (September 13, 2022).“We have to now have a new PSA to tell people what they’re going to get if they come in on this auction,” Dr. Jagdeo said. He ex plained that will utilise three variables. The first of the three variables involves the company’s legitimate expec tation, that is, if they invest money, they should get a de cent return on the investment. The second is keeping in the new PSA enough incentives that will accelerate explora tion and production and the third speaks to greater share of the benefits for the govern ment. “Moving to a higher point will be determined by those variables, how we settle those variables and then through a combination of adjustments on royalty, maybe profit sharing and the taxes we will achieve that,” he expressed.Jagdeoadded, “So, we’re currently working on the discussion paper that would have to be completed soon as part of the auction,” the Vice-President said.

will be in keeping with Guy ana’s existing laws. “We are looking at the 1960 Petro leum Act to see that it allows us to pursue an auction in a manner that we wish. In the past, all the contracts were given out on a first come first serve basis. Now we’ve de cided to go to auction so we have to ensure our legislation regime supports this process to secure future blocks,” the Vice-President said.

The Government is also looking at the legislation to ensure that all procedures

Having stressed the importance of outreaches to maintain engagement with Guyanese across the country, the PPP/C government continues to engage Guyanese.

PPP/C gov’t maintains grassroots

12 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 13 13

grassroots level engagement

This assurance was given by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a visit to Annandale, East Coast Demerara re cently.The matter, he said, is go ing to be taken to the highest level. “I am going to write the Chairman of CARICOM who is the President of Su riname now. Let us make sure that letter goes off today to the Chairman of CAR ICOM raising this three-boat issue… the AG is going to look at this. We are not going to let this down,” President Ali Insaid.August, the fisher men’s boats and fishing equipment were seized after they were found to be fishing in Suriname waters.

To support the infrastruc ture, President, Dr Irfaan Ali announced that his ad ministration plans to install sufficient lights and build appropriate facilities that will aid in more fish catches.

14 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18

He said, “My message to you today is that we have no other choice than to live with each other and build this country.” President Ali made the statement while addressing the concerns of members of the commu nity following the official opening of the $59m “Burn ham Boulevard” on Sunday. Construction on the road began in June and was com pleted within three months.

“Where the fishermen have their operation by the koker, we have already ap proved a project to improve lighting and security and to build some facilities out there for them including helping them to bring up their seine and engine,” President Ali announced during a recent impromptu visit to the com munity.

to Guyanese fishermen. The issuing of the licences was an agreement coming out of a four-day official visit of Su riname’s President Chandri kapersad Santokhi to Guyana back in 2021.

Of recent, fisherfolk ply

Enhanced working conditions for Annandale fisherfolk

The President pointed to the importance of under standing the implications of the development underway and the positive impact it will have on residents.

Two.“We’ve committed to you to expand the pineapple production and we’ve al ready set aside the resources and machinery to get you to expand what is the best pineapple in the world. The pineapple here from Lake Mainstay,” President Ali informed the gathering at the Hecelebration.encouraged them to

The rehabilitation and

The government has bud geted some $743.7 million in 2022 for the development of this sub-sector.

Dr Ali’s commitment is aligned with the PPP/C Ad ministration’s ongoing efforts to encourage growth within the sector, and overcome the challenges plaguing fisher folk across Guyana.

(Turn to page 19) to page 19)

The government has also condemned Suriname’s ha rassment of Guyanese fish erfolk in Suriname waters in a recent statement. “The Government of Guyana con demns, in its strongest pos sible terms, the most recent harassment being meted out to our Guyanese fisherfolk by the Surinamese govern ment, inclusive of its fail ure to grant licenses to our fishermen in keeping with a commitment made to His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana on 26 November 2020, during a visit to Suri name,” the government said in the statement.

ing their trade at the Meadow Bank Wharf, East Bank De merara, have seen significant improvements in less than one month, following the president’s visit at the facility on JulyThere,21.a total of 17 new lights were installed, nine around the building, five within the compound, and three along the entrance thor oughfare.Additionally, a police outpost was established to enhance security at the wharf. The new features at the wharf form part of a longterm master plan established to ensure a conducive work ing and shopping environ ment for the hundreds utilis ing the Similarly,facility.at Annandale, President Ali instructed the Guyana Police Force to in stall “one container Police outpost,” to allow for 24hour police presence. “Com mander you will work with this community. You have two weeks to establish one of the container police out posts in close proximity to

Resources, machinery to boost pineapple production in Region Two – President Ali

To ensure there are sus tainable supplies of fish and other seafood, President Ali asserted that his govern ment continues to invest in expanding the aquaculture industry so that production could increase. This, he add ed, will allow for a more stable environment and will provide an important alterna tive production modality for Guyana’s fisherfolk.

Gov’t to write CARICOM on seizure of Guyanese fishermen boats in Suriname waters

the school,” the president instructed.Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall S.C; Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and other government officials were also part of the Withvisit. government’s con tinuous zeal to promote the improvement of the fisheries industry, it has facilitated the creation of an aquaculture committee, and rolled out a programme to promote the improvement of brackishwater shrimp production along the Corentyne Coast.

ITEC Day is commemo rated on September 15 every year. This year marks the 58th year of the programme.

Government will be im plementing a number of concrete measures at the koker in Annandale, along the East Coast of Demerara, to improve the working envi ronment for fisherfolk there.

heightened security for community

Ali said, “Development must be able to add value to your life. The road out there is something physical. But what we don’t understand is that the road has brought value to every single home in this community. It has in creased the net value of your homes in this community.”

He disclosed that in clusive of the roadway, the Government is expending more than $192m to recon struct roads in the commu nity. The work in the com munity, he added, is part of the Government’s national approach to development.

H is Excellency, Dr Mo hamed Irfaan Ali, an nounced Saturday that gov ernment will be allocating funds and equipment to increase pineapple produc tion in Region Two (Pomer oon-Supenaam).Hewasatthe time ad dressing the Amerindian Heritage Day celebrations at Mainstay/Wyaka, Region

Families of three fishermen who recently lost their boats in Suriname waters have been assured that the government is doing all it can to address the issue.

POSITIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT

President Ali also said the government is not rul ing out taking legal action to settle the matter. “We have been fighting this case from the time they brought it. What we know for sure the officials said they sold this boat out. I told the Attorney General we will work now, if we have to go legally against them, we will go legally against them because there can’t be any system where you can just seize a boat and they sell it the next day,” the Presi dent told concerned family members.OnWednesday last, the president said representatives of Guyana and Suriname are scheduled to meet to iron out issues surrounding granting 150 coastal fishing licences

President Ali also noted that a number of Guyana’s national assets were trained in India and that more Guy anese are benefitting from its array of programmes.

Ali lauds partnership under India’s ITEC programme (Turn to page 20)

NATIONAL APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT

Reports in the local me dia indicated that the three fishermen were also required to pay a fine for their actions.

P resident Dr Irfaan Ali pointed to the impor tance of the Indian Technical and Economic Coopera tion (ITEC), particularly its “functionality” in the ever-changing education landscape.TheHead of State, who is an alumnus, made this as sertion on Tuesday evening as he delivered remarks at the ITEC Day reception held at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, hosted by the High Commissioner of

All communities will be part of Guyana’s development – President Ali

taste the ‘out of the world pineapple’. “That, by itself, is a tourism product,” Pres ident Ali Pineapplehighlighted.farming and harvesting, though an eco nomic activity in Mainstay/ Whyaka frequently draws tourists.The PPP/C Adminis tration has placed strong emphasis on the growth

the Republic of India to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Dr K.J Srinivasa.

“I am convinced that the ITEC programme will con tinue to be a great platform through which global human resources are refined and de veloped in a functional way to participate in the devel opment of our real world,” he said.

East Coast corridor. “This is what infrastructure trans formation brings. It brings an improvement in the net worth of the community; it brings an improvement in the net worth of properties. And when that happens, it takes up your net value. So what we’re doing is adding value, building capacity, bringing hope, and develop ing Thepride.”President said that the Government wants all communities in Guyana to feel like “they’re part of the investment, they are part of the development, they are part of the growth story of our country. Unless we can all feel that we are a part of the growth story of our country, then it will always feel as if we are not moving forward”.President Ali noted that while the investment in in frastructure is important, investments in people are also critical. He, therefore, tasked the Public Service Minister, the Honourable

He added that eventual ly, Mocha Arcadia will be an important midpoint con necting the new Silica City with Georgetown. More importantly, he said, the Government is also build ing out the connections into Georgetown and along the

commissioning of the access road were done following a request made by residents in a letter to the President de tailing their frustrations over its deplorable condition.

“So, one may say it is a large population that is agricul turally based, but they don’t produce the high intensity human resources, only in agriculture. Look at the medical field, the financial field, the field of economics, aviation, NASA, … This

(Turn

cores of Mocha Arcadia residents were assured by President Dr. Irfaan Ali that now is the “time and season for development” and that his government would walk together with them to ensure that they have equal access to devel opment opportunities.

Challenged with a back log, the Ministry of Am erindian Affairs is working to distribute all land titles and demarcations by 2024, according to Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai.She said, “When we left office, our programme en visaged that we would have about 36 or so titles to be addressed, and 68 demarca tions…we came back, and we arrived at almost zero level, where we have to pick up from where we left off.”

Young people, the Head of State said, must play an

Residents were informed that they will benefit from the government’s 30,000 solar energy project set to come on stream early next year. “There is absolutely no other way but to build this country on a common platform of equitable devel opment. That is a hallmark of this government, equity and ensuring the entire pop ulation is lifted,” the presi dent told residents.

been having on the fishing industry. “I’m pleased to tell you that those cages would have arrived and based on your request, because of these celebrations, we have postponed the installations till after you celebrate, so you will have the first two marine cages in the country to push aquaculture,” Presi dent Ai said as he addressed those gathered at the lake side

two years, so, over that two years, we have quite a lot to do. It’s like picking up from 2015, and trying to complete what we should have done in 2017; so we are way back,” the Minister said.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 15

T he agriculture landscape of Mainstay/Whyaka will soon change as the vil lage will be the first in the country to benefit from ma rine cages to pursue cage fishing.

“We have been working on a national development plan that looks at the advantages of competitiveness of each of those communities and then to work on creating the investment and the in frastructure to support the development of your com parative advantage,” the president explained.

In attendance were the

58 Region Nine teachers graduate ProFutoro programme

FOCUS ON GUYANA’S FIRST PEOPLE

Only recently, $3 bil lion was approved through a supplementary budget to improve the lives of Amer indians countrywide.

ProFuturo is a Digital Education Programme that, through innovative digital teaching-learning experienc es, enhances teachers´ peda gogical and digital skills, and meaningful student learning.

F ive families including two Community Service Officers (CSO) received keys to their new homes, as Amerindian Heritage month celebrations contin ued at societaloverwhoMinister,PoorconstructedCounty,village,Mainstay/WhyakaintheEssequiboattheweekend.ThefivehomeswerebyFoodforthe(Guyana)Inc(FFTP).AmerindianAffairsPaulineSukhai,wasatthehandingceremony,saidsomeissuesarebest

All Amerindian land titles, demarcations to be addressed by 2024

Director of the National Centre for Educational Re source Development (NC ERD) Ms Quenita WalrondLewis, Regional Education Officer for Region Nine, Mr Sherwyn Blackman, Organi zation of American StatesProFuturo Local Manager Mr Will Campbell and Na tional Project CoordinatorProFuturo, Ms Christine London.The teachers participat ed in a two-day innova tion and ICT workshop, and upon completion, they

The announcement was made by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Saturday as he joined Amerindian Heritage Day Celebrations in the Region

legal rights to their communi ties. “I have not been able to title any village,” he had said.

Notably, after taking office, the Coalition Gov ernment, sent home the en tire unit dealing with the Amerindian Land Titling programme. The Project Management Unit was ben established in June 2014 to support the implementation of theTheproject.ALT project, when conceptualised, sought to achieve three major goals: completion of land titles is sues and demarcation process for all Amerindian villages that submitted requests, in creased use of existing and alternative mechanisms to resolve land titling disputes and thirdly a communication strategy including a hand book describing the process of titling, demarcation and social economic impact of secured land tenure.

The first graduation ex ercise was hosted at the Arapaima Primary School. The 58 graduating teachers are attached to Arapaima Nursery School, Arapaima Primary School, St. Ignatius Nursery School, St. Ignatius Primary School, and St. Ig natius Secondary.

TwoThecommunity.Government has been working on diversify ing the agriculture sector and contemplated cage fishing as a way of boosting fish pro duction, especially with the impact climate change has

In 2010, MoAA together with UNDP and the Office of the President has initiated a Land titling Project that sought to process applica tions for titling and demar cation. Under the Guyana REDD + Investment Fund (GRIF), the former Peo ple’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2013 signed a US$10.7M docu ment for the implementa tion of the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarcation project. The US$10.7M was monies earned by the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government, left for the purpose of com pleting the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) programme.

active role in the develop ment. “We are now working to have not only call centres but the whole innovation industry. We are working on having the whole inno vation industry expanded in this region so we can create higher paying jobs and more technical jobs,” he related.

Amerindian Development…

While Indigenous people in many Countries have right of use of the Land only, in Guyana where the Indig enous People account for approximately 9.7% of the population, Amerindians own land including the for ests resources within their Titled Lands.

Also present at the handing over ceremony was village Toshao, Fredericks-Pearson.Yvonne

Appearing before the Par liamentary Sectoral Commit tee on Natural Resources, former Minister of Indige nous Peoples Affairs, the AP NU+AFC Coalition’s Sydney Allicock, admitted that he failed to make progress with the ALT programme, which gave the indigenous people

that cage fishing will utilise the country’s waterways, especially in the hinterland areas to help in economic sustainability there.

Thecelebrations.initialphase of the cage fishing project will rear Tambaqui, Mullet, and Tilapia.Agriculture Minister Zu lfikar Mustapha has noted

Cage fishing is expected to garner $8 million in in come annually.

He pointed out that for most of the year, tourism has been booming in Region

Two, noting that most, if not all the available rooms in the region have been booked. President Ali said the gov ernment will be making the requisite investment to further boost tourism in the region which will see Mainstay/Whyaka benefit ting. “Minister of Tourism will be working with you on an extensive programme to provide the training, to provide the certification and to help with the upgrade of facilities to support a strong sustainable and resilient tourism industry,” President Ali

Gov’t will partner with NGOs to support Amerindian development – Sukhai

Fifty-eight teachers from the Upper Takatu-Esse quibo Region (Region Nine) are now certified through the ProFuturo Digital Education Programme.

No Amerindian community will be left out of development trajectory – Ali

In addition to aquacul ture, the president also noted that work on boosting poul try production in the com munity is in progress. “We have not only earmarked money to develop your poul try sector, but we have start ed the construction of the facility and we are buying the equipment,” President Ali said.

She further explained that during this period, the ministry will be able to con duct investigations and con sultations to deliver titles, she added. “It’s a work in progress. We were able to negotiate the extension for

Mainstay/Whyaka to get the first two marine cages

tackled through partner ship. To this end, she contended that the PPP/C Government will ingmainthemustnation’sacrosstoment’sformspartners.isationsNon-GovernmentalsupportOrganasdevelopmentThismove,shenoted,partofthegovernmanifestopromise,workwithstakeholdersGuyanatodrivethedevelopment.“Wesayfromthelevelofgovernment,thatwerecommittedinsupporttheinstitutionsthatare

esidents of Mainstay/ Whyaka were assured that they will not be left out of Guyana’s development story. Assurances were also given that government will make the necessary invest ments to build the produc tive capacity of the Region Two community.

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali made the commit ment as he addressed those gathered for the Heritage Village Day celebrations.

The government, she said, is working to clear the backlog, and have all titles and demarcations completed within the next two-and-ahalf years. “We are working on it to ensure that we com plete it in the next two-anda-half years from now. At the end of 2024, we expect that all the demarcations should be completed, and the titling, mainly extensions to village,” Sukhai said.

complimenting the work when it comes to address ing the needs… meeting and finding solutions for vulnerable groups…” the ministerFFTPstated.isthe largest NGO in Guyana, commit ted to helping alleviate poverty and improve lives by providing relief, rehabil itation, and sustainable de velopment to all Guyanese.

received their certification. The modules were created based on the online courses allowing teachers with little to no access to internet ser vices the opportunity to gain knowledge on how they can integrate technology into their lessons and positively transform their classroom.

Somestated.$450 million was announced by President Ali for the construction of roads in Mainstay/Whyaka and Capoey. An investment of $3 million was also made to improve the quality of water the community receives.

Housing and Water Min ister, Collin Croal made the disclosure during a recent inspection of ongoing in frastructure works in the housing schemes. He was accompanied by Regional Chairman, Sheik Ayube and Vice Chairman, Omesh Sa tyanand.AtEdinburgh, some $1.8 billion is being spent on infrastructure works, while $967 million is being ex pended at Meten-Meer-Zorg. The works include clearing the land, and the construc

PPP/C DELIVERING ON ‘PLAN FOR PROSPERITY’

In the first half of 2022, the cultivation of paddy re quired expanded support from government due to the adverse weather conditions and the increase in the prices for fertiliser. Increased fer tiliser prices in the first half of 2022, prompted support by government for rice cul tivation, with 139 farmers receiving relief totaling some $58.4 million to assist in their recovery after the 2021 floods. There were also in terventions in constructing and maintaining infrastruc ture and drainage and irri gation, among other support to the sector. “At the end of June 2022, $107.5 million of the $300 million budget ed was expended to create a variability and breeding nursery and conduct exper iments in harvesting, crop nutrition and soil fertility disease resistance screening as well as a study on paddy bug management.” the report furtherAlso,states.953 farmers were trained in sustainable agri cultural practices, while 83 farms were certified to pro duce wholesome foods and agricultural commodities for

Over $160M in contracts awarded to several agencies under Agri Ministry

reduce flooding for approx imately 400 families and farmers through the draining of 200 acres of farmlands for cultivation of cash crops, and the replacement of two mobile pumps in the area.

budgeted $66 million was expended to increase coconut cultivation and production. The national effort to expand the production of coconut water and coconut-based products has seen success with a 58 percent increase in the production of coconuts to 27,598 tonnes in the first half of 2022, compared with the first half of 2021.”

Despite, the fisheries sec tor facing some challenges locally and worldwide, the fisheries department expend ed $142 million out of $343.7 million budgeted this year, this translated into increased aquaculture production in the first half of this year compared to last year. Gov ernment’s expanded brack ish-water shrimp production programme which saw the rehabilitation of over 673 acres of shrimp farms, result ed in a brackish-water shrimp production increase of 292.6 per Thecent.report also highlight ed the upgrade of the Sa tyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station, which sold 26,630 fingerlings to farmers com pared with 16,595 in the same period last year. Drain age and Irrigation was also highlighted with $7.7 billion spent on drainage and irriga tion works during the review period in response to La Nina weather conditions.

A contract valued $25,508,582 was signed between the ministry and Supreme Contracting and Supplies for the construction of a processing facility at White Water Creek, Region One, for the Guyana Mar keting Corporation (GMC).

The PPP/C since 2020 has made significant in vestments in the agriculture sector.

Cyril Singh Agricultural Enterprise Inc was awarded $96,600,000 for the supply and delivery of fertiliser to the National Agriculture Research and Extension InstituteAgriculture(NAREI).Minister,

(Turn to page 21)

Thus, massive invest ments have been made in the agriculture sector since taking office in 2020. This was complemented by as sistance to farmers, and tax concessions to stakeholders in the sector and other sup portThemechanisms.reportshows that de spite weak performance from the sugar, rice and fishing industries, there was higher outputs from other crops, forestry and Accordinglivestock.tothereport, “during the first half of 2022, $15.8 billion of the $32.6 bil lion budgeted was expended in the agriculture sector as government sought to expand cultivation and production to reduce imports, increase exports, and foster diversi fication despite, the La Niña weather conditions that pre vailed.”The construction of major infrastructure, procurement of key equipment and ma chinery, and the establish ment of necessary systems and partnerships were als0 initiated.Thegovernment contrib uted $2 billion to GuySuCo to advance the projects slat ed for this year and support the smooth operation of the industry. Albion, Blairmont, Uitvlugt and Rose Hall es tates, all benefitted from upgrades, the report states. “A total of 1,238 persons were employed by GuySu

he Housing and Wa ter Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Au thority (CH&PA), is set to commence major infra structure works in Millie’s Hideout, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

should start knowing where they will fall,” Minister Croal monthstorsWesonsof“AsvariousThebeguncompletedZorg,Overexplained.atMeten-Meer-oneofthelotswasandpersonshavetoidentifytheirlots.othertwolotsareatstagesofcompletion.wearecompleteintermsthelots,wearecallingpertoidentifytheirlots…arepushingthecontractocompletewithinthreesothatwilltellyou

Details of the contract state that the facility will en sure products secure larger marketE&Aaccess.Consultant was also awarded a $ 21,064,000 contract for consultancy service supervision of the Charity Pump station, under the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA). The project is expected to

The government has also been placing focus on the revival of the coconut indus try locally, and according to the report, at the end of June 2022, “$34.6 million of the

16 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022

Government’s continued investment in the agri culture sector is paying off as it recorded significant growth in the first half of this year.

Some $3.4 billion in in frastructural works are cur rently underway in five new housing developments in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region to cater for serviced house lots for ap proximately 2,800 allottees.

Co at Skeldon, Rose Hall and Enmore over the period August 2020 to June 2022. Of this amount, 922 were re-employed severed per sonnel and 316 were new hires,” the report said. Some 1,400 employees of Uitvlugt Estate received cash grants to supplement their reduced income, which resulted from mechanical failure at the factory during the first crop of 2022, an initiative which totaled $275.6 million.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18

Some 1,000 persons who were allocated house lots in Edinburgh and MetenMeer-Zorg new housing de velopments in Region Three will be able to commence constructing their homes be fore the end of the year.

houseallotteesMeten-Meer-ZorgEdinburgh,toaccesslotsbyyear-end

Investments in Agri Sector paying off shows significant half-year growth

Livestock also got sup port from government with the Guyana Livestock De velopment Authority receiv ing $842.3 million in the National Budget with $406.6 expended so far. “In the first half of 2022, Government distributed 1,050 broiler chicks, 1,150 black giant chicks and 595 ducklings and provided technical support to farmers. Also, to assist with the recovery after the 2021 floods,1,050 farmers received $57 million relief grants.”

area which spans approx imately 250 acres. “There is significant public sector investment in Linden as we speak…as part of our na tional housing programme, major works will be done

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal said works in the new housing development will com mence within a few weeks. These include land prepa ration for the construction of roads and drainage in the

Major Infrastructure works for Millie’s Hideout, Linden

before the year it will finish,” the housing minister noted.

The coconut seedlings production for the first half of 2022 was 21,566 compared with 18,306 in the first half of 2021, according to the report.

The PPC/C Administra tion, led by President Dr Ir faan Ali, has been leading the Caribbean in its food security efforts to lower the high food import bill in the region and to ensure food security.

everal agencies under the Ministry of Agricul ture on September 1, 2022 signed contracts valued at $161,722,032 to further their development works.

The Ministry of Finance’s mid- year report has estimat ed growth in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors expanded by some 10.9 per cent and is expected to grow by 11.9 per cent.

Approximately 3,000 acres of residential and farmlands for cash crops and rice in Versailles and Canal No. 1 Polder will benefit.

export“Another 3,602 cash crops farmers received $431.7 million in relief grants to assist with their recovery from the 2021 floods.”

tion of roads, culverts, and drainage.Minister Croal explained that the works in Edinburgh are divided into three lots. The difficulty, however, is that the contractors had to await the completion of lots two and three to access the area.The minister said that lot one is now complete and the contractors have commenced works in lots two and three. They are ex pected to be completed by the end of September and October respectively. “The contractor for Lot Two will be given an extension for one month, but liquidated damages will start by the end of September…by the end of October, the first week of November persons

Zulfikar Mustapha implored contractors to execute their jobs within the specified timeline. “This is our work programme that we’ve been executing over the last few months, and I want contrac tors to ensure that they do the work according to the specifications and to execute it on a timely basis. The agriculture sector is moving and moving rapidly. You are the stakeholders, you are the people who are helping us, so to speak to execute the work. At the same time, you are earning but we want to form that partnership where we can have this work done on a timely basis,” he stated.

Meanwhile, contracting company CEMO Inc, also signed a contract valued $18, 549,450 for consultancy service supervision for the construction of an A-Line Sluice. This will enhance monitoring of projects and implementation timeline.

The home construction falls under CHPA’s Ade quate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP) that targets low-in come residents. The 20ft x 20ft two-bedroom concrete structures have been built in La Parfaite Harmonie. “Al ready, we have constructed 50 Core Homes valued at $4 million each and these have been completed in La Parfaite Harmonie,” Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal said Personsrecently.wererequired to

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 17

He said significant job creation, expansion of the agriculture, agro-processing and manufacturing indus tries and construction of in dustrial complexes are some of the benefits that will result from the road. “We have the construction and operation of the multi-bil lion-dollar multi-purpose port facility dubbed the ‘Port of Vreed-en-Hoop’, which will primarily service Guyana’s offshore oil and gas sector and other ship ping needs… then you have the Wales Development Plan, which aims to expand Guyana’s industrialisation and manufacturing oppor

The scope of works in cludes the construction of a dual carriageway reinforced concrete road which will feature an emergency lane and a median measuring 4.1 kilometres.Therewill also be the upgrade and rehabilitation of 2.4 kilometres of road, construction of two round abouts, 11 reinforced con crete culverts, and 36 prestressed bridges along with road markings and signage.

Some $3.4 billion in in frastructural works are on going in five housing devel opments in the region which caters for 2,800 allottees.

$11.8B Schoonord to Crane Road presents major economic, job opportunities

Minister Mustapha said the country’s food security is dependent on a solid agri culture sector. He said, “Al though we are an emerging oil and gas nation, we have to ensure we develop our agriculture sector. A lot of money will be made from oil and gas, yes, but those resources will not last for ever. This is why we have to develop our productive sectors.”While there, Minister Mustapha also met with farmers to listen to some of their concerns. Farmers who opted to speak said that the access dams were indeed a cause for concern. They however noted that the introduction of the grader will assist in rehabilitation works.Two weeks ago, Minis ter Mustapha commissioned another grader at Tarlogie in Region Six.

Ministry of Agriculture… those were all initiated in the meeting. However, the Chairman of the NDC has never turned up to any of the community meetings, he is always out of the communi ty,” the minister explained.

He reiterated govern ment’s commitment to pro viding affordable housing for all Guyanese.InRegion Three alone,

A total of eight contrac tors will execute the works which are slated to be com pleted within 16 months.

apply for the core homes and once successful were expect ed to contribute $100,000.

Some 50 families will soon settle into their new homes as the Central Hous ing and Planning Authority (CHPA) has completed the construction of a number of core homes in Region Three.

“We have another 125 flat houses that are expected to come on stream within two weeks in Region Three,” the minister stated.

Project engineers and consultants were also put on notice to effectively manage the work. “You have a duty

AHUAP also caters for home improvement subsidies of $500,000 in materials to upgrade their thementCroalAdditionally,homes.Ministerdisclosedthatgovernwillsooncommenceconstructionofanumber

PPP/C DELIVERING ON ‘PLAN FOR PROSPERITY’

of flat houses in the Essequ ibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Two).

over 3,200 house lots were distributed in government’s first two years in office com pared to just over 700 house lots in five years under the previousMinisteradministration.Croalsaidso far in 2022, over 1,400 lots have already been distributed.

125 flat houses to be constructed soon

However, in the commu nity of Mocha, the minister highlighted that several en hancement workers were hired by the ministry to work within the village, and those workers are being paid by the Further,ministry.the ministry was able to acquire support from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to do excavation works in the community.This,the minister said, was done following a series of meetings held in the com munity, from which the NDC Chairman was voluntarily absent. “We have done a lot of work. We have enhance ment workers that work in Mocha that we pay and that the Chairman sometimes gives a very difficult time to. I was in Mocha, and we did some excavation through the

– Min Dharamlall clarifies

50 families to receive core homes in La Parfaite Harmonie

TheThree.3.9-kilometre road is expected to present major economic and other oppor tunities for Guyanese, the fulfilment of a commitment made by President, Dr Mo hamed Irfaan Ali.

R ice farmers in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supe naam) can look forward to improvements in the cur rent dam maintenance pro gramme with the addition of a brand-new motor grader to the region’s fleet of ma chinery.Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha com missioned the grader on September 7, 2022, at the National Drainage and Irri gation Authority’s (NDIA) regional office in Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast.The $24 million grader forms part of the NDIA’s 2022 capital expenditure programme.

clean up, the big NDCs, that we didn’t do any work in, we gave them some money to do some clean up…many NDCs received it, including op position-controlled NDCs,” Minister Dharamlall stated.

The minister pointed out that upon his assumption of office, many residents lamented the lack of devel opment in the community, although finance was made available. “What I would like an investigation of is the $500 million or US$2.5 million that Mocha received for agricultural development from the last government and when I went there, the farmers complained that not much was done and the money was spent. So, that is what the chairman needs to account for,” he noted.

Stressing the impor tance of the road to the livelihood of persons in the region, contractors were urged to produce quality work promptly. Croal said, “Signing the contract today is just the start of this mas sive project. You must be ready to begin actual work on the ground. And you must focus your energies on delivering high standard of construction. Too often we see photographs on social media or even in the news papers of substandard work that is being done.”

to the people of Guyana be cause you are also the gate keepers for our country’s investment. Be sure that we continue to have constant engagement between the contractors and yourself because you are overlook ing on behalf of the Gov ernment of Guyana. And you the contractors please ensure that you do not hes itate should you meet with challenges in your construc tion,” he urged.

Minister Dharamlall said that if Adams was serious about development in his community, he would ask about the expenditure of the $500 million grant given to the community under the former administration.

uyana took another giant step in its trans formational development agenda with the signing of a massive $11.8 billion contract for the construction of the Schoonord to Crane Four-Lane Highway, in Re gion

The Central Housing and Planning Authority’s Director of Projects Omar Narine facilitated the sign ing witnessed by Minister Croal, the ministry’s Perma nent Secretary Andre Ally, CH&PA’s Chief Executive Officer, Sherwyn Greaves and other senior officials.

While offering remarks, Minister Mustapha said that the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has been expending substantial sums to ensure critical in frastructure are upkept. “De

plorable dams is one of the most burning issues farmers on the Essequibo Coast are faced with. The government recognized this and this is why since we assumed office, we’ve been making large budgetary allocations in this region. That shows the government’s commit ment to the development of this region. We know agri culture plays a major role in the region’s development. For us to develop agricul ture in this region, we have to develop and create the necessary infrastructure so that farmers can produce. If we are to achieve food secu rity, we have to continue to make these critical interven tions,” Minister Mustapha explained.Stressing the need for collaborative efforts be tween the government and farmers to further develop Guyana’s agriculture sector,

Mocha Arcadia benefitted from $5M subvention, community enhancement

Works include land prepara tion, construction of access roads, bridges, culverts, and drainage. It also caters for the installation of electrical and water distribution networks in housing areas at Anna Catherina, Cornelia Ida, Ed inburgh, La Parfaite Har monie, Meten- Meer- Zorg, Uitvlugt, Zeelugt, Tuschen, Leonora, Groenveldt and Stewartville.

Housing and Water Min ister Collin Croal, in his remarks, said the road will complement infrastructural works being undertaken in the region to facilitate hous ing development.

The funding being re ferred to by the chairman, Minister Dharamlall said, was given to large NDCs that were not part of the massive clean-up exercises through the Asministry.such,the minister said the allocations were made to ensure these communities can partake in the beautifi cation of their environment. “[When] we were doing the

Region Two farmers to benefit from improved dam maintenance

tunities with a low-cost source of energy,” Minister Croal said at the signing.

The Neighbourhood Dem ocratic Council (NDC) of Mocha Arcadia has bene fitted from the government’s $5 million subvention, while enhancement staff were hired and excavation work con ducted around the commu nity to ensure its beautifi cation.This was revealed by Local Government and Re gional Development Minis ter, Nigel Dharamlall, as he responded to spurious claims made by NDC Chairman Ru dolph Adams during a com munity meeting on Sunday (September 11, 2022).

Apart from major in vestments in the housing sector, the government will also be establishing its gas-to-energy project in Region Three. This will be coupled with the planned construction of a modern hospital at De Kinderen. The region will also see the construction of the $52 billion New Demerara River Crossing.Onthe private sector side, a $1 billion shopping complex has commenced construction along with the US$5 million Sheriff Hospi tal at Leonora.

Guyana gets US$83.3M for renewable energy projects

The government has bud geted $74.4 billion for the country’s education sector to create a world-class edu cational system and produce greater human capital, with a focus on ensuring fair access to high-quality education. This includes establishing strong systems, building ad ditional schools, increasing teacher training programmes, and revising the school cur riculum. The allocation to the sector is in keeping with the government’s five-year Edu cation Strategic Plan (ESP) 2021-2025-Vision 2030.

The new treatment plants will be built on the islands of Wakenaam and Leguan, Parika, and Wales.

This will be achieved by promoting the use of cli mate-resilient, renewable energy sources in the gener ation of electricity, helping to avoid deforestation and confront climate change.

advancing the country’s clean and renewable energy under the new LCDS 2030 agenda.

The existing plants at Klien Pouderoyen, and Fel lowship will be upgraded.

The WEEP programme is a two-part training fund ed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and will last for a period of oneTheyear.business training will be facilitated through the SBB while BIT will conduct training in the building and maintenance of Solar Photovoltaic equip ment.The first training will be conducted in October. Sixty-five will be trained in business management skills and 35 in Photovol taic maintenance in Region Seven.Each group of women will attend sessions over three days in the case of business training. These sessions will include theory and practical elements of small business management in Guyana.Thesolar PV training will be conducted over two weeks and consist of prac tical and theoretical aspects of Photovoltaic repairs.

development of education under the PPP/C Govern ment.According to the report, over 425 laptops and other computing equipment will also be delivered to teachers to help with the implementa tion of the Education Man agement Information System (EMIS) by the second quarter of 2023.The ICT and EMIS im plementation will provide re al-time data and statistics for more effective scheduling, monitoring, and management of schools.ThePPP/C Government is dedicated to enhancing the ICT sector through the sup port of various educational programmes for youth devel opment and across-the-board youth training initiatives.

PPP/C DELIVERING ON ‘PLAN FOR PROSPERITY’

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips in his remarks said the project will benefit some 265,000 cus tomers on the Demerara-Ber bice Interconnected System, Linden Electrical System and the Essequibo System.

ICTs are being used in

18 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022

The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) and the Lin den Electricity Company Inc. (LECI) will also benefit from the use of solar photovoltaic technology that will displace significant amounts of fossil fuels and reduce generation costs. It also has a training component which involves women.Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh said the allocation of $83.3 million emerged from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) established un der the original Low Car bon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2009. “This proj ect is not financed by loan, it is not financed by Grant, it is financed by monies that have been earned by the people of Guyana as revenue paid to our coun try for the global climate services,” Dr. Singh ex plained. The amount, the minister noted, was intended originally as gov ernment contribution to the Amaila Falls Hydropow er project which was dis continued by the previous coalition administration. However, under the PPP/C Government the use of the funding was refocused, in its pursuit of the cause of

reliability, and stability. “I will consider it a people cen tred transition to greater use of renewable energy and of course, it is in keeping with the Low Carbon Develop ment Strategy 2030 agenda,” the Prime Minister said.

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Securi ty is also an implementing partner of the initiative.

Minister, Joseph Hamilton, reiterated the im portance of involving wom en in training programmes across the country. He urged persons not to just look at men when thinking of Technical and Vocational Education Training, since women take up more than half of Guyana’s popula tion. “A census in 2012 indicated that nearly 52 per cent of the people that lived in Guyana were females. And we have a census that was launched just last week. My prediction is that it will show up about 55 per cent of the population is female. And so, we cannot afford to exclude from Technical and

wo hundred women are set to benefit from the Women Empowerment in Energy Programme (WEEP), a collaboration among the Board of Indus trial Training (BIT), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the Small Busi ness Bureau (SBB).

water from 52 to 90 per cent by the year 2025 along the coast.“So, if you take into con sideration Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Ten and Bartica in Region Sev en, only 52 per cent of the population benefits from treated water and that’s on the coastline. Region three only 40 per cent of you ben efit from treated water and these investments will bring that to 90 per cent,” Minister CroalOtherexplained.areas to benefit from water treatment plants include; Walton Hall to Charity in Region Two; Bush Lot, Region Five; and Tain to No. 50 Village, Region Six.

The report, which de tailed sectorial developments between January to June this year, pointed out the rapid

This transformative pro gramme the Prime Minister said, will support the digi talisation of Essequibo and Linden electrical systems, moving them from manual systems towards real-time, automated monitoring and control, improving efficiency,

– investments being made in eight utility scale PV solar projects

The Government of Guy ana and the Inter-Amer ican Development Bank (IDB) signed an agree ment for financing of up to US$83.3 million from the Norwegian Agency for De velopment Cooperation to improve the diversification of the country’s energy matrix.

The Energy Matrix Di versification and Institution al Strengthening of the De partment of Energy (EMIS DE) Programme is one that aims to evolve Guyana’s energy sector by invest ing in sustainable energy

11,000 electronic tablets with distributedresourceseducationtobebyyear-end

To further enhance Infor mation and Communi cations Technology (ICT) in the education sector, some 3,750 electronic tablets are expected to be delivered to students across Guyana by the end of this month.

Housing and Water Min ister, Collin Croal said government will be investing in four new water treatment plants in Region Three (Es sequibo Islands-West De merara), while $4.7 million will be spent to upgrade existing treatment plants.

Guyana as a catalyst for eco nomic and social Empower ment. In order to encourage the usage of ICTs through out Guyana, a commitment was also made to build the infrastructure and create an enabling environment.

Four new treatment plants for Region Three

Meanwhile, IDB Man ager of the Infrastructure and Energy Sector, Ariel Yepez-Garcia highlighted that even as Guyana’s econ omy continues to boom with the advent of the oil and gas industry, it is important to recognise the country’s commitments to climate change. He added that the Government of Norway has recognised the critical focus Guyana must continue to have on decarbonisation, reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and maintaining the integrity of its pristine forest. Therefore, this special agreement has enabled Guy ana to re-invest its earning into high-value, low-carbon, and solar investments.

An additional 7,250 tablets are expected to be delivered by the last quar ter, accomplishing the goal of providing 11,000 tablets pre-loaded with teaching resources for students by the end of the Accordingyear.to the Finance Ministry, the distribution will provide students with the tools needed to enter the in formation age as the country and the world develop.

planned projects will im prove access to treated water across the region, even as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) works to improve access through the drilling of new water wells in unserved and underserved areas such as Parika Back and Lusten-Rust. “In Region Three , over the next year will see an investment of at least $US 27,000…and that does not include a new treatment plant that is catered for Leguan and Wakenaam,” he pointed out.Overall, the PPP/C Gov ernment’s macro plan for the water sector will see an injection of $28 billion, improving access to treated

Chief of Operations and Acting Country Represen tative, IDB Country Office, Guyana Lorena Solorzano Salazar stated that the op eration, framed within the Norway-Guyana partnership and as part of the LCDS, will essentially take the country to 19 percent renewables on its grid in about three years. This is the kind of transfor mative change, she pointed out, fully aligns with the IDB’s Vision 2025 agenda.

Minister within the Min istry of Public Works, Deo dat Indar and Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. Sam Ram tahal were also present at the event.

This will see partici pants from Regions Sev en (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Up per Essequibo) receiving training in theoretical and practical aspects of energy maintenance.Speaking following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, Head of GEA, Dr Mahender Sharma, explained that the training is part of a larger project. “The GEA is in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, through the BIT to advance a component of one project we are undertaking and that project is the Energy Matrix Diversification Pro gramme,” he said.

Minister Croal was at the time outlining Region Three’s developmental plans during a recent outreach at the West Demerara Sec ondary School. He said the

solutions to diversify the primary energy source in the Hinterland, while con tributing to climate change mitigation.Italsoseeks to invest in the reinforcement of trans mission infrastructure to improve reliability and sta bility of the Demerara-Ber bice Interconnected Sys tem (DBIS), and strengthen the Department of Energy to develop a regulatory framework and improve institutional capacity and governance of the Oil and GasLaboursector.

Vocational Training more than half of the population,” the Minister said.

The non-reimbursable funds will see investments in eight utility-scale, photo voltaic solar projects totaling 33MWp (Megawatt peak) with associated 34MWh en ergy storage systems distrib uted across three areas in the country under the Guyana Utility Scale Solar Photovol taic Programme (GUYSOL). Specifically, it will invest in 10MWp in Berbice, 8MWp project in Essequibo and 15MWp plant connected to the Linden system.

200 women in rural areas to benefit from GEA, SBB training

ternational Cooperation, Hugh Todd; Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pau line Sukhai; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Wal rond; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dha ramlall; President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assem bly, H.E Abdulla Shahid; Chairman of the National Toshaos’ Council, Derrick John; other representatives of the government and the diplomatic community also attended the event.

nomic base, provide new economic possibilities, and create new types of employ ment for locals and those in the surrounding areas.

Resources, machinery to...

(From page 14)

The initiatives, the head of state noted, are antici pated to improve economic resilience, broaden the eco

Sonia Parag, with identify ing young persons from the community to be trained in technical education.

“I am working with ev eryone… the people are coming along with me on this journey. I am not go ing to let any bureaucracy anywhere in this country stop me from bringing the people along with me. No bureaucracy anywhere will stopHeme.”also assured the resi dents that their needs would be addressed, including the provision of sufficient text books, the restoration of internet access in the school, improved ventilation, the construction of a disability ramp for the community’s primary school, the provi sion of street lights, the pro

vision of furniture, and the rehabilitation of the school’s recreationalMeanwhile,ground.the Pres

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 19

DEFINING THE FUTURE

The various initiatives being rolled out by his ad ministration, he reiterated, are not only geared towards ensuring the lives of all Guyanese improve but are aligned with the “One Guy ana”“Wevision.have a choice to make in this country, and that choice must always be defined by facts. It must not be defined by sensational thoughts, it must not be defined by mischief, it must not be defined by divisive commentary, and it must be defined by understanding

President Ali urged the residents not to be swayed by negative influence and narrative, particularly from political players.

(From page 14) of tourism and agriculture across the nation. Consec utive financial allocations also show this.

He urged those gathered not to lock themselves out of opportunities by subject ing themselves to narrow thinking. “I am not here to tell you that I want all of you here to vote for the PPP; I am here to tell you that I want all of you to benefit from the PPP Government.”

the problem and working in a structured way to solve the problem.”

ident stated that the pro cessing of land titles for the community is well under way and is expected to be completed before the end of the Theyear.President assured the residents that in the coming weeks, the respec tive ministers will return with technical teams to con duct assessments to address theirTheconcerns.Headof State was joined by several govern ment representatives, in cluding the Minister of Cul ture, Youth and Sport, the Honourable Charles Ramson Jr; the Minister of Public Service, the Honourable Sonia Parag, the Minis ter within the Ministry of Public Works, the Honour able Deodat Indar and the Commissioner of Police (ag), Clifton Hicken among others.

Road construction con tracts totaling more than $450 million have been se cured for Mainstay/Whyaka andTheCapoey.region’s agricultur al environment will soon transform, as the commu nity becomes the first in Guyana to use marine cages for cage fishing.

President Ali reaffirmed his commitment to equi tably developing all areas nationwide.Amerindian Heritage Month is celebrated under the theme ‘Celebrating our traditional culture while building One Guyana’.

All communities will be part...

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Foreign Affairs and In

20 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022

He emphasised that the Government of Guyana is “very grateful for this part nership with the Govern ment of India”, including the opportunities provided by the ITEC programme.

ment. He said that the Government aims to bol ster the country’s human resource capacity to en sure that Guyanese can benefit from all levels of development opportuni ties. “We are on a journey now in Guyana to build the human resource capacity for 2030 and beyond. That is why you hear me speak ing about the introduction of coding in our primary schools and software de

specialised areas.

“This is the country we are building. The resources from oil and gas allow us the opportunity to build this country.”

HUMAN TRANSFORMATIONRESOURCE

The ITEC programme, fully funded by the Gov ernment of India, has pro gressed over the years and now attracts partic ipants from 161 coun tries in Asia, Africa, East Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, as well as Pacific and Small Island countries.Participants are trained

said, must be congratu lated for the important investment they continue to make in building their human resource capacity.

in capacity building, em powerment and the up grading of skills, among otherMeanwhile,areas. during Tuesday’s event, the In dia-Guyana Alumni As sociation was also relaunched.MrsMignon Bow en-Phillips, (the wife of Prime Minister Mark Phillips); the Minister of Public Service, the Honourable Sonia Parag; Speaker of the National Assembly, the Honourable Manzoor Nadir; members of the diplomatic Corps and ITEC Alumni were also at the event.

Guyana, the President explained, is also focused on educational develop

tells you about a system that is designed to ensure the hu man resource capacity is de veloped to the highest level to become functional in the world we live in. And that is a very important aspect of the ITEC gramme.”functionalityprogramme—theofthepro

ITEC’S GLOBAL REACH

velopment in our second ary schools. Because we are preparing our human resources, through the rev enues and resources we have now, to function in a very different world from 2030. If you believe that this is the world that we’re going to face in 2030, you need to wake up and smell the Thecoffee.”President envi sioned that Guyana’s future will be built on innovations by a knowl edge-based economy, driv en by technology, support ed by strong research and development, focused on AI and robotics and highly

(From page 14)

The Government and the people of India, he

Ali lauds partnership under India’s...

Millie’s Hideout has been identified for the con

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 21

had said, “An essential part of my Government is inclu sion. Stop being defined by race; stop being defined by politics. Start being defined by our one nationality and by our common love for our one country, let us lift it up to gether and by doing so, let us lift each other and ourselves, one people, one nation, one destiny…I propose to give meaning to my call for one Guyana by requesting the leader of Government busi ness in the National Assem bly, Prime Minister Briga dier, Hon. Mark Phillips to introduce the adoption of an Act of Parliament establish ing a One Guyana Commis sion which he will head…. we must move our nation building from abstraction to

action and lose not one more moment in doing it. Let us stand up for our one nation, our one Guyana, let us stand up for what we know in our hearts and in our minds to be right. Let us stand up for one identity, the Guyanese identity.” President Ali said the work of the Commission will be undertaken coun trywide to encapsulate the free expressions of all voic es, respecting the diversity “from which our oneness springs.” The Commission will also address education concerning Guyana’s histo ry, religion, ensuring equal opportunity, employment and entrepreneurship and institutional strengthening of the Ethnic Relations Com mission.

(From page 16)

(From back page)

Ward Phase Two.

In the Amelia’s Ward housing development, the minister said works are ongoing to develop 500 serviced house lots. Once those works are complet ed, allottees will be able to

get on board with a national development agenda – all in the interest of all Guyanese across the entire country. “It is a dead end if they don’t drop the racism… there is room for inclusion, providing that you work for the people…you can’t bully people and you can’t lie to people….currently, we have an ineffective Opposition Leader…more often than not, he has a shallow under standing of crucial sectors,” the PPP General Secretary hadInsaid.February 2021, Presi dent Dr Irfaan Ali announced the establishment of a ‘One Guyana Commission’, which will be spearhead ed by Prime Minister, (rtd) Brigadier, Mark Phillips. Ali

struction of the housing units, as part of a commit ment by His Excellency, Dr Irfaan Ali to construct 1,000 homes to meet the

Major Infrastructure works for...

Schemes are underway,” Minister Croal also dis closed.Since August 2020, the PPP/C Government has in vested more than $1 billion in infrastructure develop ment in Region Ten.

identify their lots to com mence the construction of their“Ongoinghomes. installation of lights and upgrade of roads in and around Linden and in Amelia’s Ward, Wis mar and Wisroc housing

housing needs in the min ing Already,town. some 40 units are at various stages of completion at Amelia’s

Norton-led Coalition put...

in that area [Millie’s Hide out] as well as Amelia’s Ward.” Minister Coal said.

COMMENTARY

The Opposition’s strategy: lies, fabricated storylines and just nonsense

er” Norton’ssyndrome.

hard-headed PNC has taken a path that now has endangered its place as the head of the Opposition. Even its own diehard supporters have begun to wonder if the PNC would win enough seats at the next election in 2025 to continue to lead the op position. Clearly, the present strategy already guarantee the Norton-led PNC will not win the 2025 elections. The danger is whether the PNC under Norton can win enough votes to remain the lead opposition party. The PNC has sunk to this level because Norton has decided on a strategy that makes no sense to his and the PNC’s ownNorton’ssupporters.total political orientation has never been built around developing ideas, plans and strategies for good governance and development. His whole po litical orientation has been based on two simple, but idiotic strategical platforms - Desmond Hoyte’s “slow fyah, mo fyah” and Hoyte’s “creature” politics which is in Burnham’s and the PNC’s DNA. “creature” politics treats everyone below the leader as a “creature” of the leader, the “follow-the-lead

act to follow, but success comes not because the strat egy is easy, but because it is hard, because it is a suc cessful strategy. Afterall, the PPP/C’s strategy returned that party to power, made Dr. Irfaan Ali the President of Guyana.Butthe

Whenuttered.informed the na tion that the gas-to-shore project would result in ener gy cost of about seven cents per Kw/hr, Lall claimed he could get it for three cents.

once he publishes a story, no matter how outrageous, no matter how baseless, no matter how far from the truth, the published story becomes the Whatfact. does Lall’s behav ior and antics have to do with Norton and the PNC?

It is simple, it is the same strategy that the PNC has opted to emulate. It is unfath omable. Norton and the PNC has before them two distinct options – follow the PPP/C’s example between 2015 and 2020 or Lall’s crazy strategy. They decided that it makes greater sense for them to follow Lall’s reprehensible model. We see clearly the strategy that Norton has ad opted through the lens of recentThisevents.pastweek, President Irfaan Ali visited Mocha, a community that has been un compromising in its support for the PNC over decades. Prior to the visit, PNC ac tivists called on the people to boycott the President. Instead, the community came out enthusiastically to see, mingle and interact with their President. When the PNC Chair of the NDC demanded the Government must give the NDC all the monies that target development in Mocha because the PNC controls the people of Mocha, the President interjected that no one owns the people of Mo cha and no one controls the people of Mocha, the people burst out in unanimous ap plause, siding with President Ali and rejecting the demand of the PNC NDC Chair. It was a total, brutal rejection, affirming that the President’s ONE GUYANA message resonates with them and that they find the divisive politics of Norton and the PNC ugly and distasteful. Mocha is a microcosm of the dysfunc tionality of the PNC.

When challenged to bring a qualified investor that was willing to bring the gasto-shore project in at three cents per kw/hr and that the government would grant them the contract, Lall con tinued to rail that the seven cents per kw/hr is too high. This is, for those who know Lall, his modus operandi. For everything the PPP does, Lall can do it better and cheaper. But he has never bid for these projects and the question is why. The answer is easy, he has no clue, but he makes up a bold story. Have we for gotten that he had claimed he could build and install pumps at a fraction of the price the PPP paid back in 2013/2014?

The Granger-led APNU/ AFC Government then build smaller pumps than the PPP did in 2013/2014 and paid significantly higher price, but Lall was silent. The PPP again has tendered for new pumps. We are still awaiting Lall bidding for these pumps.

The PNC’s response is that the people should chase away the PPP, that a PPP president has no right to commission a new road that was once a mud dam named

Every opposition party, its supporters and sympa thizers work in between elec tions to become the next gov ernment. An opposition that genuinely wants to govern for the people will present ideas, strategies and plans as alternate to what the existing government is doing.

Burnham. Norton and the PNC want the mud dam named Burnham to remain a mud dam. Deliberately fabri cating storylines, or depend ing on ignorance cannot be the qualifications a political party parades as evidence they represent an alternate government. The absolute enthusiastic response of the people to President Ali af firms the people are com forted by a President that seeks to bring development

PNC has de cided that in order to oppose the PPP and President Irfaan Ali’s so far successful gov ernment, the PNC and its sycophants will lie, fabricate stories and simply ignore facts, no matter how clueless and outrageous the PNC looks. Instead of ideas, Nor ton has decided that the PNC will simply make up stupid analyses, lie at every turn, fabricate ridiculous stories and simply never hear the truth. In a recent radio en gagement PPP General Sec retary, Bharrat Jagdeo, had with Glen Lall, the strategy is explicit.GlenLall accused Bharat Jagdeo of putting his handpicked businessmen to own and operate the Marriot Ho tel. When it was explained that the government owns 100% of the Marriot and that no businessman owns any share in Marriot, Lall simply refused to listen to the truth. Challenged to name one of these so called hand-picked businessmen, Lall named Re public Bank. It was explained to him that Republic Bank is not an owner of the Hotel, just that the bank provided a loan, but Lall simply re peated the lie, pretending he never heard a word Bharrat Jagdeo

Recently, Lall claimed he can build three hospitals for what the PPP proposed to build one hospital for and that he will still have money left over. These hospitals will be tendered out, and, we hope Lall present qualified bids for these constructions. But if anyone is sensible enough, they better do not hold their breathe. Lall is just bluster and knows he is just fibbing, hoping that if he repeats these dubious claims, some people will fall for the stupid ity. Lall, in fact, claims that

22 WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18

everywhere.Thispast week, Annette Ferguson, an Opposition MP, with an unholy obsession with the Honorable Min ister of Education, Priya Manikchand, claimed that President’s College ranking among schools had been dropped to a lower ranking by the Ministry. She based this conclusion on an an nouncement by the Minis try of Education on cut-off marks from the NGSA. But the ranking in the MOE’s announcement is one that have existed for some time. A similar announcement, with the exact ranking, was publicized in 2019 by the then Granger-led APNU/ AFC Government. Ferguson was a Minister in that gov ernment. Did she not know that President’s College’s cut off scores were lower than Queens College, Bishop’s and St. Stanislaus, as publi cized by the government she was a minister in? Was she trying to create some polit ical controversy by lying or was it that she was ignorant of the facts? Either way, she continues to demonstrate that she and her party are un qualified to sit in parliament as our country’s alternative government.Another PNC MP claimed that school children in Region 2 benefitted from school-supplied breakfast and lunch between 2015 and 2020. No teacher, no family, none of the RDC councilors and leaders know which child in Region 2 got school-based breakfast and lunch. These are the kinds of lies and fab rications the PNC has made a “winning” strategy for 2025. But Norton’s and the PNC’s strategy of lying, ridiculous fabrications and total igno rance have people wondering if the PNC can hold on to the leadership of the opposition after the 2025 elections.

The PPP/C found itself in this position between 2015 and 2020. Bharat Jagdeo was where Aubrey Norton now is. The PPP/C consistently and regularly presented its ideas and alternative strategies and plans for development. The PPP/C critiqued the David Granger-led APNU/AFC Government’s performance, constructively examined the budget, the strategies and plans, pointed out the flaws and presented alternative ideas for serving the people and the country better. They held the government account able by presenting facts and ensuring that the then APNU/ AFC Government account for their behaviour and per formance. This was the ev eryday task for the PPP/C and it is the reason that the PPP/C easily won re-election in 2020.The PNC-led APNU/ AFC coalition clearly have learnt nothing from the gold-standard of opposition party politics. One would have thought that Aubrey Norton and the PNC would now want to emulate the successful pathway that the PPP/C provided for them. True, that would be a tough

The PNC controlled gov ernment between 2015 and 2020 and during all those years they barely acknowl edged Mocha. In just two years, President Ali has been there at least twice, to open a major roadway and to assure Mocha residents that Mocha is about to be transformed.

“To be on the safe side, be cause we don’t know who would eventually present with symptoms that require hospitalisation, the safest

In terms of vaccination, booster shots have increased slightly with more than 73, 000 persons taking the vac cines. Vaccines are currently available for persons five years and above.

(New York Times) The Unit ed States has reported more monkeypox cases than any other country in the world. As people recover from their infections, they’ll naturally want to avoid a repeat infec tion and repeat episodes of the pain and fear associated with the disease.Thegood news is that experts believe you are not likely to become reinfected with monkeypox after you’ve been infected or vaccinated.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MONKEYPOX VIRUS

What are the symptoms? People who get sick com

high and complex levels of immunity.”Someepidemiologic data from vaccinia virus inocula tions for smallpox suggests that getting vaccinated pro vides dependable protection for at least five years, with some level of immunity last ing 10 years or more. When researchers looked at anti bodies after vaccination, they found that levels remained comparable to those in indi viduals who recovered from smallpox even after several decades.But when it comes to monkeypox, there is limited real-world data, as it is a new viral infection in nonendemic countries. It is still possible that six months down the road, we’ll start hearing of rare cases of reinfection, said Dr. David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Two and a half years into the COVID-19 pandem ic, Guyana is recording mild er cases, and fewer hospital isations and deaths from the disease.

However, if a person was previously infected with a variant other than Omicron, they could still be reinfected withInOmicron.Guyana, persons are getting a milder form of the disease which resembles the flu, with symptoms like runny nose, fever and muscle aches.Most of those infected do not require hospitalisation, and those that do, are mostly senior citizens or persons with underlying conditions.

He said while vaccina tion numbers remain stable, over 446,290 persons have taken at least one dose of the vaccine, which is a rel atively high number. “You have a combination of people who have received vaccines. There might have been a lot of people who got infected as well so they have some immunity because of their past infections and perhaps when you combine that in the

thing to do is to make sure that your vaccinations are up to date, so I wouldn’t say that the virus is weaker, I would just say that perhaps with all the interventions that we would have made that in the population now, we have a little bit more protection than we previously had,” the health minister said.

monly experience a fever, headache, back and muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion. A few days after getting a fever, most people also develop a rash that starts with flat red marks that become raised and filled with pus. On average, symptoms appear within six to 13 days of exposure, but can take up to threeHowweeks.doesit spread? The monkeypox virus can spread from person to person through close physical contact with infectious lesions or pustules, by touching items — like clothing or bedding — that previously touched the rash, or via the respiratory drop lets produced by coughing or sneezing. Monkeypox can also be transmitted from mother to fetus via the placenta or through close contact during and after birth.

It’s not out of the question that your immune memory could wane several years after a vaccination or an infection, Dr. Cennimo said. Research ers have observed this after some types of vaccinations, which is why you need a booster for shingles, an illness caused by the same virus that gives you chickenpox. Your immune system could also weaken as a result of taking certain medicines, such as chemotherapy drugs, or un dergoing treatments for auto immune disorders, including multiple sclerosis, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Another infection like H.I.V. or the flu could temporarily weaken your immune system. Smok ing, alcohol consumption or poor nutrition could also sup press your immune responses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long recommended that people get booster doses for smallpox or monkeypox every two or 10 years if they remain at continued risk for infection. In the past, the guidance has only applied to laboratory workers and health care professionals who work closely with the viruses. What happens next, however, will depend on the trajectory of the current out break, Dr. Cennimo said. “I couldn’t predict if we’re going to be telling patients getting the monkeypox vaccine now that in three years they’re going to need a monkeypox booster,” he said. “Certainly, if we don’t control this trans mission now, and this be comes an endemic infection, that may be the case.”

Currently, and for the past few days, no one has been admitted to the Inten sive Care Unit (ICU), with only three persons at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, and a country-wide hospital isation total of seven persons.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony during Friday’s COVID-19 update noted that this could be credited to the many persons who took the first dose of the vaccine.

So far, there has been no evidence of reinfection with monkeypox, Dr. Cennimo said. And if case counts keep falling and monkeypox stops circulating widely, there is hope that booster doses will not be needed. Immunity from the primary vaccination or an infection will continue to protect people for a long time.

Milder COVID-19 cases being recorded in Guyana – Anthony

Upper respiratory illnesses such as the flu, the common cold and Covid are notable exceptions. The viruses that cause these illnesses adapt quickly, with mutations that make them significantly dif ferent from what the body may have dealt with in the past — as we all learned with the Omicron variant of Covid. These pesky pathogens also stay in and infect your nasal passages, throat and upper re spiratory tract, where the body does not usually treat invaders as a big threat.

WEEKEND MIRROR 17-18 SEPTEMBER, 2022 23 23

population, you would have a substantial number of per sons who would have some level of immunity against Covid,” Dr Anthony said.

I fear I might have mon keypox. What should I do? There is no way to test for monkeypox if you have only flulike symptoms. But if you start to notice red lesions, you should contact an urgent care center or your primary care physician, who can order a monkeypox test. Isolate at home as soon as you de velop symptoms, and wear high-quality masks if you must come in contact with others for medical care.

What is the treatment for monkeypox? If you get sick, the treatment for monkeypox generally involves symptom management. Tecovirimat, a hard-to-obtain antiviral drug also known as TPOXX, occa sionally can be used for severe cases. The Jynneos vaccine, which protects against small pox and monkeypox, can also help reduce symptoms, even if taken after exposure.

Who can get the vac cine? Jynneos vaccine is most commonly used to prevent monkeypox infections, and consists of two doses given four weeks apart. It has mostly been offered to health care workers and people who have had a confirmed or suspect ed exposure due to limited supplies, though new doses should become available in the coming months. A few states, including New York, have also made vaccines available among higher-risk popula tions.A monkeypox infection is very likely to create an im mune response more similar to that of smallpox than to that of Covid, Dr. Cannon said. “I would also expect that to be long term or for life,” she said.

As with the original smallpox vaccine, the current Jynneos shots authorized for monkeypox are also based on a weakened form of a related virus called vaccinia virus, Dr. Cannon said. “So you basically get an asymptomatic or incomplete infection, which will provide you with pretty

Can you get reinfected with monkeypox?

What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a virus similar to smallpox, but symptoms are less severe. It was discov ered in 1958, after outbreaks occurred in monkeys kept for research. The virus was primarily found in parts of Central and West Africa, but recently it has spread to doz ens of countries and infected tens of thousands of people, overwhelmingly men who have sex with men.

Based on what scientists know of other orthopox in fections — such as smallpox, monkeypox’s close cousin — immunity to the disease should be lifelong. In stud ies of smallpox survivors, researchers have noted that immune cells that help coordi nate the body’s ability to fight off the virus and kill infected cells can still be found in people’s blood up to 83 years after their original smallpox infection. Similarly, antibod ies that are able to neutralize the smallpox virus seem to stick around for decades after an infection.That’sthe case for most viral diseases, according to Paula Cannon, a professor of microbiology and immunol ogy at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Viruses that tend to mutate slowly — like measles, mumps or the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis — also prompt a strong immune re sponse. As a result, immunity after infection tends to be lifelong. Your body learns to recognize the virus and remembers how to fight it in case of future encounters.

“…I frankly do not be lieve that you can change the nature of, what I call, the lunatic fringe that has now occupied the seat of the Opposition. In their midst, you have people who can see nothing, but race…they have collectively agreed that racism is their most potent tool – they must try to divide the country with the hope of making less effective the initiatives of the PPP gov ernment.“…they can’t criticize us on the basis of – or have a debate – on a technical basis…they would, instead, all day long, wallow in this cesspool of racism….this is what they are about. They are not about country or about people. They are just about getting back into polit ical power. So they will use the tools available to them and the only tool available to them is racism….this is a very selfish group of peo ple.”All considered, the Vice President proffered the view that the Coalition is battling a crisis of leadership and a lack of direction. As such, he called on Guyanese to be moreMovingdiscerning.forward, Jag deo stressed that the AP NU+AFC Coalition must drop racism as a tool and

The PPP/C to push for inclusion and working to gether – all in the interest of Guyana and the Guyanese people is not new.

Procurement Commission and Service Commissions.

PUBLISHED BY NEW GUYANA Co. Ltd., Freedom House, Robb Street, Lacytown, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: [592] 226-2042 / 227-2095 / 655-0459 / 627-7432

CLEAR RECORDTRACK

The PPP General Secre tary added, “People in this country now own a house, they own a car, they have jobs and they are growing

The APNU+AFC Coa lition and elements aligned to the embattled political grouping continue to embrace positions aimed at creating divisions in Guy ana, according to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo. “A key message of APNU

in the middle class…peo ple don’t often remember that historical perspective. A country with a growing middle class becomes more stable….today we have a vibrant local private sector because of our policies… so the society has changed today and therefore people are not going to be easily pushed into extreme action. People have assets to protect now – people of every race have assets to protect. They have their own houses, they have vehicles, etc….more of our people now are looking to get a scholarship; they are looking to get a house lot; and they are looking to get a car. They are not going to be bothered by the foolishness of Norton and the others.”

Jagdeo noted that at each turn the Norton-led Coali tion must be called out for their divisive action. “We have had a constant outreach and response to all of these things. I wish I did not have to go at great length every time to talk about this. But if we don’t then they will keep misleading the people.”

In a prior interview, Jag deo underscored the fact that the prevailing disposition of the APNU+AFC, as Guy ana’s Parliamentary Opposi tion, is not constructive since a “racist narrative” is what dominates in the Coalition camp. He said, “We can not, for one moment, allow this….for too long we have been quiet about it…when you examine their polices, their nature is exposed.

interview.Hestressed that such a posture serves only to under mine national development and the collective progress and prosperity of the Guya nese“Ipeople.always have great faith in the ability of the people of this country….our country has matured. These are not

is racism, racial division. So instead of promoting racial harmony, empowerment of Afro-Guyanese, upliftment of Afro-Guyanese, they un dermine national harmony and create an incubation ground for the vile, jaun diced propaganda of the ilk of (Aubrey) Norton and his party,” he said, in a recent

The PPP/C, prior to 2015, had been working strategi cally for years on a national project, to ensure a more uni fied Guyanese society. Start ing with changes to the Con stitution, between 1999 and 2001, there were moves to have the political Opposition more involved in at the leg islative level – with changes to the composition of the par liamentary committees, with the Chairmanship rotated between the Opposition and Government; and a hearing system where government ministers can be summoned to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees, to name a few.

The Opposition’s legislative involvement extended to the setting up of the Rights Commissions, the Public

Norton-led Coalition ‘promoting racial division’ – Jagdeo

the early days when the PPP just took office,” he said, noting too that the progress made in Guyana to date has engendered the creation of a growing middle class

(Turn to page 21)

He underscored the fact that if deliverables are mea sured in a “real sense” the upliftment of Afro-Guya nese, as well as all people across the country, particu larly Amerindians, is clear under successive PPP/C ad ministrations. “If our people need help, they will get it. We are that kind of govern ment,” Jagdeo posited.

CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP

Further, a detailed plan to advance inclusive gover nance saw several measures being expounded on in a Paper titled ‘Towards great er inclusive governance in Guyana – Building Trust To Achieve Genuine Political Cooperation’, which was made public in 2003. The measures detailed in the Pa per were cited as “vital” for political development and the “emergence of a new po litical culture” characterised by greater trust, civility and commitment to the national interest.