A response to Sherlina Nageer and SASOD: Balderdash Epitome

by Doza Medicine

When the above Sherlina Nageer and SASOD mentions that their first problem is that “that alcohol would be available there,” that is at the National Stadium, during ‘Feminition,’ and that the cost of the event is $15 million ( not a huge sum of money), they are really struggling (with a vapid brain) to conjure up debunking factors, which really do not exist in this discourse.
First, tell the public, where and when one cannot buy alcohol. Or inform the nation, especially women, where and when alcohol is a prohibited beverage. Also, the Nageer needs to visit Sheriff Street, or any night spot, and see since when (at least in Guyana) women and alcohol have been in opposition.
The two intersect and this somehow missed by you folks.
So for SASOD, having no alcohol at the stadium translates into a coercive force which debars the distaff members from the substance. How Silly!

Secondly, maybe, Nageer and SASOD prefers that the $15 million Guyana dollars be equally divided among the alphabetic listing of their coterie of victims. So instead of addressing the ‘cause’ in a collective manner, they prefer that the ‘symptoms’ to be looked at individually.

And as Nageer was thinking of the “other, more truly significant things that could have been done with that money …(such as helping ) the youth camp …(and temporarily) alleviating the situation of ) women like…S – a domestic, who’s left with a mere $500 spending money at the end of the day. (And) Women like …seat mate …a security guard with seven children who has no choice but to leave them alone as she works 12-14-hour shifts at a time etc., isn't she inclined to similarly ask; how come these things have taken place in the first instance?

And yes, indeed “these women already know about the harmful effects of inequality, and that they deserve better” but it is the empowerment avenues available to them that Feminition sought to highlight. So if these unfortunate women do not want to “stay in abusive situations” they need to “work to change the conditions in (their) society” so that “dis-empowered women” would be transformed. And for sure “(t)ransformation does not come in days and a concert, fashion show, and expo just won’t do it,” (these they get all the time at their own leisure), but ‘Feminition’ is not a ‘jump up bacchanal.’ The concerned minister is seeking to put forward possibilities for the unfortunate of her ilk. She is seeking to change their thinking and to mobilize their efforts. This too will take time and effort, but it is better than ‘languishing in despair.’

David Granger's plans for Guyana

1. Privatize GUYSUCO and GUYOIL

2. He has no development plans for Linden

3. He has no interest in creating a SWAT Team to tackle crime

4. His answer to our crime problems is to seal off our borders


I'm telling you dis boy Granger is DANGER

Lincoln Lewis should allow GTUC and Critchlow Labour College to be audited by Christopher Ram

In an interview with Prime News of May 24, when pressed about the government's removal of subvention from the Critchlow Labour College, compulsive woman beater Lincoln Lewis referred to the President of Guyana as “this guy”. Apart from his lack of respect Lewis provided nothing of substance to rebuff the government's claim of financial irregularities being the main reason behind its decision.

As a simple means of allaying the fears of the government and proving beyond a doubt that none of its financial transactions warrant any such concerns, Lewis could have offered to have CLC and GTUC audited by his Christopher Ram.

Malcolm Harripaul is evoking laughter

Malcom Harripaul

Cedric Lord: WHEN Malcolm Harripaul (in the ‘Kaieteur News” dated 2011-05-25), opines that “Mr. Bisram, and Mr. Ravi Dev, are both erring, in referring to the PPP’s regime as “being democratically elected at free and fair elections” and that he (MH) is going to debunk both gentlemen, he evokes laughter. He, Harripaul (being a double joker now), also (in the same breath) suggests that he would “critically examine this position” that is “if the PPP is a democratic institution, and if Indo- Guyanese were really free from fear.”
Let this response be premised on the suggestion that if ever one wants to comment on the idea of a ‘lack of democracy’ and its corollary, ‘lack of fairness,’ then any ingenuous effort will start with the Burnham/Hoyte led PNC’s tenure as the government of Guyana. One remembers well the pre-1992 era, especially in matters pertaining to elections. This epoch remains a ludicrous page in the annals of Guyana’s history. So beaten back was the anti-PNC clique that there was a dreadful atmosphere pervading and suffocating this land. During this period, elections were reduced to a farce. So that is a good pivot for Malcolm Harripaul to begin his exegesis on ‘democracy’ and ‘fairness.’

Secondly, the mere fact, that since 1992, elections in Guyana have been certified ‘fair and free’ and characterised by ‘transparency’ is sufficient to rebuff the ‘nonsense’ that is now being dispensed, not only by Malcolm Haripaul, but by members of his ilk. So how does Malcolm Harripaul try to ‘pull the wool’ over the people’s eye?
He goes into a territory, and speaks for people who snicker at him. He tries to insinuate that the PPP’s presidential candidate Donald Ramotar was simply forced into this position and then foisted onto the people. What he foolishly does is try to represent a constituency that does not exist. It is so simple and obvious: if there was and is bickering within the PPP, regarding the choice of Donald Ramotar, then how does one account for the continued gelling of the PPP and its gathering momentum for the upcoming elections?

So the stupidity and the fallacy of one only “has to look at the manner in which the PPP presidential candidate was imposed on the PPP membership and Indo Guyanese to see how undemocratic the PPP is” is really Malcolm Harripaul’s evincing his penchant for caviling and carping.
This brings to mind the contretemps of Freddie Kissoon. When Freddie Kissoon was asked by Christopher Ram, to explain how he feels, knowing, realising and experiencing fighting for a cause that is seemingly imagined, and for a people who seem least bothered (the garbage situation), he sought refuge in his philosophising. It is really laughable that Malcolm Harripaul is representing disgruntled PPP elites and PPP Indo-based supporters who really do not exist. One can only surmise that in wild, childish fantasy, a group of imaginary people are asking Malcolm Harripaul to represent them.
If the elections were all fair, free and transparent, and the PPP’s presidential choice sits well with the supporters and there seems to be a spirit of cohesion, then how is it that this imagined issue comes to the fore? Malcolm Harripaul needs to get real and accept what he is ‘mad’ against, when it is just.
The second issue of “… (wanting) to expose the inherent, hidden racism in Bisram’s letter” when Bisram noted “… the struggle (of Hinds and Ogunseye) (but how that) does not give them the right to advocate lawlessness and violence against an elected government,” Malcolm Harripaul accuses Bisram of “…hide (in) under the cloak of impartiality and fairness in order to state a blatant lie about Ogunseye and Hinds.” and that “ His (Bisram’s) intention is to reinforce the PPP’s demonisation of Ogunseye and Hinds,” is another laughing matter.
So yes, according to Malcolm Harripaul, he did listen to Ogunseye’s speech on Demerara Waves and (that) he (Ogunseye), did not call for lawlessness and violence. This view of Malcolm Harripaul is not the popular one, and has been shattered many times. And Malcolm Harripaul should explain how devoid of incendiary and inflammatory content is an address that he listened to, that suggests, that even if the PPP should win (fairly freely and transparently), Afro-Guyanese take to the streets and count on the support of the army and police, since they will be banked on for support of their ‘kith and kin’. One can add that in suggesting this, Ogunseye’s assessment of his own people is that they are unwilling to accept democracy in a fair, free and transparent setting. So Malcolm Harripaul is way off.

Stabroek News and accountability

The Stabroek News continues to exhibit a bias in its reporting on issues relating to the Government and this new stance has accelerated with the death of its founder, David De Caries. In fact since De Caries' death the newspaper has become the mouth-piece of the AFC.

One example is the SN Editorial of May 19, 2011 which focused on accountability. Its author conveniently highlighted questions and concerns that arose from the audited accounts at the level of the Public Accounts Committee, which is all in keeping with democratic norms.
However, the Stabroek News tried to present those concerns and findings as part of some corrupt scheme and in the process vilified and denigrated the efforts of the public officers from the Clerks right down. The newspaper deliberately left out the many responses and clarifications and procedural correction measures put in place or offered to satisfactorily resolve the issues that arose.

More often SN's coverage of certain matters are in sync with the opposition and are all slanted to make the government of the day look discredited.

JOKE OF THE DAY: PNC rejects SWAT Team and proposes sealing off Guyana's borders as a means of tackling crime

Peeping Tom: A report in a section of the digital media reports on two contrasting positions, one by the main Peoples National Congress and the other by the ruling Peoples Progressive Party, in relation to crime- fighting.
The PPP is said to have proposed greater international cooperation and a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to address the crime situation.
A SWAT team makes sense. Criminals are now armed to the teeth and sometimes move around with high powered weapons. They demonstrate a proclivity for violence and therefore traditional police methods would be ineffective against these sophisticated and heavily armed criminals.
The main opposition reportedly rejected the idea of a SWAT team and proposed as a better option the sealing off of our borders. Sealing off of our borders? Sealing off of Guyana’s borders?
If this online report is accurate, then the question needs to be asked whether the PNCR is serious about winning this year’s election. Not only has that party already alienated potential votes by proposing the privatisation of sugar and other state-owned enterprises but given its record in pressing for a Disciplined Services Commission and advocating for the implementation of the Commission’s findings, the PNCR would have been expected to stick to those recommendations instead of saying that the most important option was the sealing of our borders.
If this is what the PNCR is proposing as the better option, the sealing of the country’s borders, is the PNCR serious?
The country does not have the personnel or the money and is not going to have the capacity to seal the borders of this country. Not in another one hundred years.
It is practically impossible to seal the borders of this country. They are too wide to be effectively policed. It is therefore hoped that the PNCR would confirm whether that online report accurately captures its crime-fighting strategy because if one of the options is the sealing of our borders, then it is pipe dream that cannot be achieved.
Even if however by some miracle the borders can be sealed, this is not going to prevent the trade in small arms and narcotics. We have security at the national airport and yet drugs get by this security. Guns have been known to be imported via air and sea into Guyana, and therefore sealing the borders is not going to prevent the movement of guns or drugs.
If the theory is that guns and the drug trade are linked, it means that the solution to gun crimes has to be to snuff out the drug trade. But this too is easier said than done.
But since most of the drugs in Guyana are part of a transshipment process, it means that the better option would be international cooperation. Most of the drugs in Guyana are being sent overseas. Thus the objective should be to work with international drug enforcement agencies to break the back of the drug lords in Guyana.
The Americans have had great success in going after drug barons. They have effected major arrests and broken large drug cartels, but some of these cartels have a tendency to regroup under new leadership and new members.
Mexico is at present the scene of major massacres because of the drug trade. Guyana does not have to become the Mexico of the Caribbean. Guyana has to solicit international help in the fight against crime. There should be cooperation so that the drugs can be intercepted overseas as well as locally.
A strategy aimed at prosecuting drug barons is also not going to be easy without international assistance. The drug barons hardly ever handle the drugs. It is often impossible to link any suspected drug baron to an intercepted shipment or bust because it is often impossible to link anything to the masterminds.
However, Guyana has plea bargaining laws and instead of the authorities trying to haul every small pusher and trafficker before the courts, they should begin to build cases by offering a plea- bargaining to those caught.
In return for evidence and witness protection, they should offer a plea bargaining deal. In this way, the law enforcement agencies would at least capture the middle men and the middle men would eventually lead them to the big fish. Is this not how the US operated in a number of cases?
We do not need o seal any borders. We need to protect witnesses and this is where international cooperation is even more vital. As part of witness protection deal, the authorities should arrange for witnesses to be given safe haven in third world countries.
This requires international cooperation across borders, not sealing the borders when there can be airdrops and other ways of bypassing border patrols.
Guyana cannot afford to waste away its hard-earned resources on trying to seal the borders. Not even crazy glue can do that!

Christopher Ram and Transparency

Chris Ram Jr having a jolly time flaunting his Dad's ill gotten wealth

Christopher Ram and Transparency:

Christopher Ram protracts himself in the print and electronic media as a "prominent professional accountant who demands and advocates proper financial regulations and expenditure for the benefit of the taxpayers".
This is far from the truth.
He also portrays himself as an ideal economist even though he lacks the qualifications and character to become one.
Can Christopher Ram explain to the public how his children in Windermere, Florida managed to obtain huge sums of money to finance the purchase of 7 luxury vehicles, parties and constant visits to Guyana?
Where did Christopher Ram received such vast amounts of money from?
We could safely say that cocaine money from his drug-dealing clients surely serve upkeep the lavish lifestyle of himself, his wife and his children.

Suspected Tax Evasion:

In addition to Christopher Ram’s skillful tax-cheating schemes there has been new information coming from an anonymous source about Christopher Ram’s defaulted Property Tax payments on his mansion at 90X Lascala Drive, Windermere, Florida ;

05/15/2007 Sold $57,700 Public records

Public records Recording Date 05/15/2007

Contract Date 05/08/2007

Sale Price $57,700

Price Type Sales price computed from Transfer Tax. No indication whether tax was paid on full or partial consideration.

Total Transfer Tax $404 Transaction Type Non-Arm’s Length Transaction Document Type Intrafamily Transfer & Dissolution – Due to dissolution of marriage, refinancing or the document reports a transaction is between family members for any reason.

Christopher Ram was out of cocaine money at that time when he had to transfer his US$325,000 mansion to his wife and Chris Jr’s name.

PNC/AFC dealt two slaps each as private sector recognises legitimacy of ERC

-promises to lend support to body

The private sector says that it recognises the legitimacy of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) and would be lending support to it until the end of elections.
With the ERC mandated to ensure reduced racial tensions, there have been questions from many quarters about the legality of the body.
On Wednesday, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Dookhoo, made it clear that businesses that are part of the umbrella body back its functioning.
“We do recognise the ERC as a legitimate body which we will support from now to the end of the elections period,” he emphasised.

PPP/C Presidential candidate Donald Ramotar touts direct investments in Linden as a future growth pole

-plans to create greater opportunities for young people by investing in education, job creation etc

PPPC Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar, speaking at the Private Sector organized luncheon held at Le Meridien Pegasus today, outlined his plans for energy efficiency, among other things should he be elected at the upcoming general elections.
Ramotar said any government under his leadership will reduce significantly, the cost of business capital and ensure there's significant increase in direct investments in Linden, an area which he sees as a future growth pole given that the Guyana/Lethem road is on stream.

He also plans to continue construction of the Amalia Falls Hydro Project in an effort to bring about more stable and reliable electricity supply as well as reduce electricity cost on consumers. Ramotar ended his presentation by saying that young people have a significant role to play in his government and outlined his plans to create greater opportunities for them by investing further in education, job creation and creative arts.

PNCR is asking voters to disregard all the development taking place around them, & vote for the same old PNC nicely repackaged as the JOPP

Really???

Harry Gill: As a specialist in the field of marketing and advertising, I am aware that at times, there is a need to repackage a good product to enhance sales, especially when the original packaging design may not be appealing enough to inspire consumer confidence.
At times, however, a bad product is repackaged and sold with the words ‘New, Improved’ prominently displayed on the label. But usually this strategy backfires when consumers realise that the product is no good.
According to DemeraraWaves (May 21), “Four opposition political parties are to contest the 2011 general election as one coalition, marking the first time that the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) would be going to the polls without its own name on the ballot.
That was among several related decisions taken by the party at its General Council – the second highest decision-making body in between congresses.
However, PNCR presidential candidate, David Granger was quoted in a statement as assuring that his party would not be giving up its identity. “The Party will not be losing its identity since we will still be the PNCR,” he was quoted as saying.
Granger, a retired army brigadier, explained to delegates that the PNCR would be contesting the polls with a consensus Presidential Candidate, one manifesto, one symbol of coalition and one coalition name. The parties would also run one single campaign.”
So the main opposition PNCR is now forced to completely repackage themselves, adding a few more ingredients such as the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA), Guyana Action Party (GAP), and National Front Alliance (NFA), hoping the taste and flavour would be more acceptable and appealing to the voters.
Mr. Editor, this political party is so badly damaged, that not even the new, improved, democratic image that David Granger and his unofficial PR officer, Malcolm Harripaul wants to attach to it, has any hope of winning the general election scheduled for later this year, as long as Robert Corbin remains leader of that party, and continues to dictate its policies.
If this wasn’t so serious, it would have been laughable. For despite what Granger wants his supporters to believe, the PNC will lose its identity when the new coalition party is formed, and even if David Granger emerges as the “consensus Presidential Candidate’, the road ahead will be much more difficult than the one Fip Motilall is now struggling to build. Here’s why:
Retired Army Brigadier David Granger may be a great choice for the PNCR with name recognition, but he’s not recognised as a politician.
He still has to come clean with the Guyanese people on the role he played in the 1973 seizure of the ballot boxes that enabled the PNC to rig that election, and this issue will not go away until then; he has to convince the electorate that he has the knowledge and capability to effectively manage the country’s resources to further enhance our economy; and he has to force Corbin to take a back seat and allow him to run his own campaign.
Time is not on his side. The bigger problem for Granger would be getting name-recognition for the new coalition party he may or may not be heading that would enable voters to easily recognise that party symbol in the voting booth. Again, time is not on his side to carry out such an extensive and expensive voter-education campaign that will be required.
Unification of the parties within this group will be another major issue, for the very reason that the Alliance for Change (AFC) has avoided joining forces with the PNCR.
They’re damaged goods, and it will be very difficult to convince those opposed to the PNCR to vote for a coalition party which includes the PNCR, even if the Palm Tree symbol does not appear on the ballot.
This idea of creating a new coalition party is a damning admission by the PNCR of its inability to win the upcoming national election on its own, and the recognition of the strength of the ruling PPP/C.
The PNCR now runs the serious risk of allowing the Alliance for Change (AFC) to emerge as the main opposition party when this national election is over.
We’re all aware that desperate times call for desperate measures, and so a desperate PNCR is hoping that the voters will totally disregard the 80,000 house lots that were distributed to low-income families; all the new roads and bridges, new schools and hospitals that were built; the tremendous improvement to education and healthcare; the electrification of small villages in Berbice and Essequibo; the soon to be constructed hydroelectric plant, and solar powered electricity proposed for 10,500 Amerindian homes.
The PNCR is hoping that sugar workers disregard the lucrative $5.6B sugar contracts recently signed by the European Union, and that rice farmers ignore the lucrative US$48M rice deal recently signed by Venezuela.
They’re asking voters to disregard all the development they see taking place around them, and vote for the same old PNC nicely repackaged as the new coalition party.
This is reminiscent of the story of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, but Guyanese are not easily fooled anymore.

Christopher Ram's Brother a major human trafficker.

Christopher Ram's brother captured by a Liveinguyana operative fondling an Amerindian girl

Human rights violations are rampant and flourishing in a rum shop owned by the brother of Christopher Ram brother. This business has been under the radar of the authorities for some time now and persons have revealed that the owner is in the habit of “rounding up young underaged girls from the interior to work ”. The proprietor's daughter also confided in a close friend of hers that her dad has been pimping under aged Amerindian girls from Bartica to work in the rum shop since 2004.

SASOD, Vidyawattie Kissoon and the cross dressing laws

This is why Vidyawattie Kissoon and SASOD are fighting to have the laws against men wearing female attire repealed

CN Sharma explained

Owner of CNS Channel 6, leader of the JFAP and serial rapist, CN Sharma is no dim-wit or half-wit. He's cunning enough to realize that he'll loose a sizeable sum of money own to the Bishop's $25M lawsuit but not intelligent enough to stop making the same mistake over and over.

Does the PNC meet the requirements necessary to be a partner in any successful coalition Government?

-no politi­cal will, trust, genuineness of purpose & coinciding in­terests present in the PNC's current arrangement with WPA, NFA & GAP

Norman Whittaker M.P: The clamour for pow­er sharing and the disturbing and rep­rehensible noises resonat­ing and reverberating from among the reducing ranks of PNC/R supporters are yet a repetition of a more than de­cade-old manoeuvre intend­ed to gain power through the backdoor.
This manoeuvre is pre­mised no doubt on an accep­tance of the fact that the PNC party is in political disarray and has determined that it could not win a plurality of votes to form a Government even by way of a coalition with the smaller ‘baby Par­ties ‘that have expressed a wish to contest the upcom­ing national and regional elections. Indeed, the PNC/R has become an anachronism in today’s Guyana.
Instead of working to put its house in order and pos­sibly attract some support from among Party diehards; the PNC/R talk of power sharing and shared gover­nance where only the PPP/C would have anything to share. I wish to posit that the PNC/R is yet to come out of the stupor/coma into which it slid in October 1992. And I hasten to caution that no form or amount of bullying or intimidation would help their cause.
The PNC/R may well be advised to look beyond 2011 and work to heal its wounds of the post-1992 period. In the meantime, the PPP/C is not averse and indeed has always been receptive to the politics of inclusive gover­nance provided that what the Opposition has to offer co­incides in some significant measure with the progres­sive demands of the Guya­nese people and the PPP/C responses to those demands as reflected in our Mani­festos of 1992, 1997, 2001, 2006 and may I confidently add, 2011.
The PNC/R would have the Guyanese populace be­lieve that the degree of mis­trust between the two major ethnic groups in our society is such that power sharing provides a form of assurance and protection of the rights of the two groups and pro­vides also, a political climate for peace and progress. They would wish no doubt to see a form of Coalition Cabinet –backdoor politics.
But I ask of the PNC/R: have you considered what creates conditions for suc­cessful coalition govern­ments and what keeps such coalitions together? Politi­cal will, trust, genuineness of purpose, coinciding in­terests based on common goals… And when one does a critical review/analysis of past actions of the PNC and the PNC/R, do you meet those requirements?
The PNC has continu­ously demonstrated since 1964, when they forced the United Force out of a co­alition Government, that trust, cooperation, genuine­ness, which are a sine qua non of successful coalitions are learned behavior that is sadly missing among their numbers. Furthermore, the rigging of elections in the 1970s and the 1980s, which they masterminded and ex­ecuted concomitant with the injustices which they meted out to Guyanese whom they viewed as their Opposition could not be preconditions for successful coalitions.