The Week-in-Review - October 6th to October 12th
Elections In the courts
No going back to Parliament: While Attorney General Basil Williams says that a “crisis situation” will result if the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) does not return to the National Assembly, his predecessor and PPP executive Anil Nandlall says government must absorb that blame as his party remains adamant that it will not be returning to the House. “The truth is that the Eleventh Parliament of Guyana expired when the life of the Government expired,” Nandlall last Sunday told Stabroek News. “So constitutionally, there is no longer a lawful parliament to which the Opposition can return. Again, as much as they would deny responsibility for this disaster, history will properly hold them responsible,” he added. Williams had argued that despite the election date having been proclaimed a parliamentary extension is required.
PPP in 15-point pitch to toshaos council conference: With the National Toshaos Council conference set to begin last Monday, the opposition PPP on Sunday made a 15-point pitch for the improvement of Indigenous communities and pilloried the government for violating the constitution. In a lengthy statement that underlined the importance the political parties assign to the Amerindian vote, the PPP pledged restoration of a number of programmes it had begun before losing office in 2015.
Jagdeo accuses Lowenfield of trying to thwart IT aid from UN to GECOM: Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday accused Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield of trying to prevent international assistance from reaching the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). “The UNDP has offered assistance in the IT (information technology) area and that’s an area that we badly need assistance in to have oversight over the registration, the tabulation, the quality of the list etcetera and when he met with the people he said I don’t need help in that area I need help in the media monitoring,” he told reporters at his weekly press conference. Asked for evidence to support the accusation Jagdeo said that he has been speaking to persons in several areas and knows that the UN has been trying to offer IT support for ages, as long as two years ago. “I’m aware that they have renewed that offer. I’m aware that Lowenfield presented to the commission as though the only offer from UNDP was for media monitoring assistance when he himself said he didn’t need assistance on the IT,” Jagdeo stressed. economy depends on its ability to provide port and logistics services for Guyana’s booming oil industry. Ramnarine, according to the report, was speaking at a post-budget session at the University of the West Indies, hosted by the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the San Juan Business Chamber, and Arima Business Chamber to discuss measures proposed by Trinidad’s Finance Minister Colm Imbert in his recent national budget presentation.
Man gets 21 years for killing bedridden mother: Terrence Madray, who clubbed his bedridden mother with a piece of wood, resulting in her death, was on Monday sentenced to 21 years in prison after admitting to the crime. Madray, 57, called ‘Terry,’ admitted before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow that on April 21st, 2016, at Lot 2 Good Faith, Mahaicony, he killed Cecilia Madray, called ‘Suzy’. Although charged with murder, the man pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. According to State Counsel Sarah Martin, the accused lived with his mother at the time and was her primary caregiver as she was injured and left bedridden following an accident. Terrence Madray
Teen labourer charged with murdering Golden Grove NDC worker: A 19-year old labourer of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was charged with the murder of Golden Grove resident David Gentle last Tuesday morning. The accused, Rollan Abrams, was arraigned before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court. Abrams, who was not required to plead, was remanded until October 22nd. Gentle’s lifeless body was discovered early on the morning of September 2nd with chop wounds about his body and his head almost severed from his neck at Haslington, ECD. The fifty-five-year-old had left his Lot 42 Golden Grove, ECD home for karaoke at Nabaclis North, also on the East Coast.
Man, 45, found guilty of raping child: A 12-member jury found a 45-year-old man guilty of rape and sexual activity with a child when the case was called at the High Court in Georgetown on Wednesday. The charges against Selwyn Lancaster stated that on October 6th, 2018, he engaged in sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16 years. A second charge stated that on November 6th, 2018, he engaged in sexual activity with a child by touching her vagina. He is expected to be sentenced later this month.