Recent events review Saturday, August 11th to Friday August 17th
Saturday, August 11 WPA to lobby gov’t for cash payouts from oil revenues
Following the suggestion by Working People’s Alliance (WPA) executive member Professor Clive Thomas that Guyana should commit a percentage of its oil revenue to direct cash transfers to citizens in order to combat poverty, the party has vowed to lobby government to adopt and implement the policy. “…WPA fully endorses the call by Professor Clive Thomas to make Guyana’s petroleum money directly available to its poor and powerless households. Further, we dedicate our political efforts as a party to pursue this programme within the APNU, within the APNU+AFC coalition and among the broad masses of Guyanese people,” WPA Executive Tabitha Sarbaro told a press conference on Thursday at the party’s headquarters in New Garden Street, Queenstown. WPA is part of APNU. “We expect, logically—and I think that’s the best route to go—if we take the matter to the people and the people show enough concern, the parties won’t have an option but to discuss that. I am expecting that the pressure coming from the electorate would make sure that these matters are discussed,” Thomas, who was also present, would later add. On Sunday, to the resounding applause of attendees at a forum organized by the Buxton First of August Movement, Thomas declared that regardless of what multilateral agencies may advise, Guyanese must pressure the government to tap monetary rewards from oil revenues if this country wants to have true equity and see a real lowering of poverty.
Teachers’ union formally advises ministry of strike
The Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) has officially informed the Ministry of Education of its intention to strike, starting on August 27th, over failed salaries and benefits talks. Union President Mark Lyte confirmed to Stabroek News that the legally-required notice was delivered at approximately 1:30 pm yesterday though up to press time no one from the Ministry of Education would acknowledge receipt of the correspondence. For six months the GTU sat as part of a High Level Task Force which at the behest of President David Granger addressed negotiations on teachers’ pay and conditions but after the task force agreed with the majority of the union’s requests, government appears to have completely thrown out their report and on Thursday refused to grant the union most of what it was seeking. In response, the union members directed the executive to begin industrial action from the pre-term. Teachers from across the country indicated that a complete withdrawal of services for the period August 27th to September 7th should be communicated to the Ministry, unless there is a favourable response to both salary and non-salary requests.
Partner on manslaughter charge over killing of Pomeroon farmer
Radha Sukwah, the 46year-old woman who police say confessed to killing her partner, Pomeroon farmer Deonarine, at his home last Friday, has been charged with manslaughter and released on $400,000 bail. Radha Sukwah, a domestic worker of Charity Housing Scheme, Essequibo, was read the charge by Magistrate Crystal Lambert when she appeared at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court yesterday. She was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Sukwah was asked to post $400,000 bail for her release and the proceedings were postponed until September 3rd, when a hearing is slated for the Charity Magistrate’s Court. Sukwah was among four persons who were initially detained by the police for questioning after Deonarine was fatally shot. The three other persons, who are said to be Deonarine’s employees, were released.
Sunday, August 12 Non-acceptance of 2020 poll results main risk in Guyana’s current political climate
Given Guyana’s current “difficult political climate” and “potential security situation”, a United Nations (UN) assessment team has found that there are various possible risks to future electoral processes, with the non-acceptance by the losing party at the 2020 elections being seen as the primary one. “The electoral processes, particularly the 2020 elections, will no doubt heighten underlying ethnic tensions,” the UN Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) notes in the executive summary of its report, before recommending that the UN must provide requested technical assistance to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in a manner that recognises the environment. “In such a sensitive political environment, with widespread mistrust among political actors across public institutions, including GECOM, the UN must provide its technical assistance in a clear framework and the parameters, responsibilities and limitations need to be properly communicated to stakeholders and the public in general,” it adds. The mission was conducted between May 7th and May 11th, 2018 at GECOM’s request for technical assistance in information and communication technology and the provision of expertise in database and information management systems, including the transmission of elections results.
Monday, August 13 Three friends perish in La Grange crash
A night of partying ended tragically as three friends are now dead and another is critical at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) after the car they were in collided with a parked lorry on the La Grange, West Bank Demerara Public Road early yesterday morning. The communities of Nismes and La Grange were enveloped in gloom yesterday as they mourned the loss of the three men, the latest in tragic accidents on the West Demerara. According to information reaching Stabroek News, 33-year-old Leroy Junior Levon of Nismes Housing Scheme was driving a Toyota Sunny, PDD 7182, with three of this friends: 25-year-old Devindra Hardyal and 20-year-old Rishi Pasha, both of La Grange, and 22-year-old Devon Bourne of Goed Fortuin. The four men were reportedly at a party in Stanleytown where they were drinking and were on their way to Goed Fortuin to drop Bourne home around 4:20 am when Levon lost control of the vehicle and collided with the lorry that the police say was properly parked on the western side of the road’s parapet.
Two cops held over killing of Brazilian miner at Puruni
Two policemen have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Brazilian miner in the Puruni District, Cuyuni/Mazaruni on Saturday. The deceased miner has been identified as Estevão Costa Marques 37, of Pinheiro, Maranhão, Brazil. The police force is awaiting additional information from investigators before commenting further on the matter. It is the latest blow to a force that has been reeling from a series of incidents ensnaring police in serious crimes. A statement by the Force yesterday said that a Subordinate Officer and a Constable are in custody assisting with investigations. Estevão Costa Marques
Former CSEC top student collapses and dies in Peru
Former top student at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, Yogeeta Persaud died suddenly in Peru yesterday while on a medical outreach. Persaud 20, of Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast and a former student of Anna Regina Multilateral was adjudged the Caribbean’s Most Outstanding Student in 2013 after securing Grade Ones in 18 subjects. Her father, Thakur Persaud, confirmed her death and explained that she collapsed at around 2 pm yesterday. The mourning father said that they received information on her passing immediately and were told that she had spent the day shadowing a doctor during the outreach. The outreach, he explained was organized by Stony Brook University, in New York which she attended.
Tuesday, August 14 Justice For All Leader hammers WPA cash transfer proposal
Leader of the Justice For All Party (JFAP), Jaipaul Sharma is convinced that the suggestion from the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) that oil revenues should be used for cash payouts to every Guyanese must be an election gimmick as he argued it is not based on sound economic theory. “It was an irresponsible statement to make and I can’t believe that Dr. [Clive] Thomas is an irresponsible man. He is an economist. He must have been encouraged by someone else in his party to make that statement, to give the people false hope like that. You can’t raise people expectations and not give them structure” Sharma, who is also the Minister within the Ministry of Finance, told Stabroek News in an invited comment yesterday. Sharma, whose party like the WPA is part of the main governing coalition partner, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), said that if Thomas and his party were truly serious about such a policy they would’ve crafted a policy proposal rather than make a floating statement. Speaking at an event organized by the Buxton 1st of August Movement which was held at the Friendship, East Coast Demerara Primary School, economist, Dr. Thomas said that he believed that some portion of the net cash flow from oil should be dedicated and be given as cash transfers to every single household in this country.
Third cop charged over learner drivers’ exam forgery
A 50-year-old police sergeant was yesterday faced with 12 charges stemming from his alleged role in the forging of several questionnaires for the learner drivers’ theoretical examination, for which he was asked to post a total of $1.2 million bail for his release. The charges alleged that Alfred Parks on April 12th, 2018, at the Felix Austin Police College, conspired with others to forge questionnaires for persons who did not sit the examination. Parks, who was represented by attorney Patrice Henry, was not required to enter a plea to any of the charges. The police prosecutor made no objections to bail being granted and Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman subsequently set bail at $100,000 per charge, which amounted to a total of $1.2 million. Parks asked that his bail be reduced but this request was denied by the magistrate. The matter was then adjourned until August 27th.
Child rapist gets life sentences
Convicted child rapist Abdool Jamil was yesterday handed two life sentences by Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry for raping a 10-year-old on two occasions. Jamil, 66, had been tried before Justice Sewnarine-Beharry and was found guilty of two counts of raping a child under 16years-old in July. The court heard that the rapes occurred on two separate occasions; on May 30th, 2014, and on June 2nd, 2014, at which time the child was 10-years-old. It was established that Jamil had taken the child from her mother’s house under the pretext that she had authorised it. It was during this time that the crimes were committed.