Friday, September 30, 2011

Jugde throws out Mac Dougall report

-President v/s Freddie Kissoon libel case

Prior to the commencement of re-examination of Dr Roger Luncheon, chief witness in the President’s ongoing libel case, yesterday by Nandlall, Justice Reynolds informed the court that he was officially ruling that the Gay McDougall Report was inadmissible as evidence in the case.
The judge said he was not satisfied with the authenticity of such an “unreliable” document and recalled that the witness had rejected the report in its entirety. It may have been accepted had the government accepted the report or remained silent on its contents, the judge said.Nigel Hughes
Justice Reynolds reiterated that it was “unfair” and “unsafe” for the witness to be questioned on the report and that any answers that he (the witness) may give may amount to his opinion about the opinion of the author and those shared with her.

Another public flop by the AFC-This time in Buxton

Thursday, September 29, 2011

If APNU could not get 300 supporters to attend its Brooklyn fundraiser how do they intend to raise US$6M?


PNCR's APNU New York fundraiser flopped

Harry Gill: Well for once, I’ve found something that I can agree with Mark Archer when he wrote, “You cannot paint a horse and call it a zebra” (Kaieteur News, Sept. 27).
This is exactly what I’ve been trying to convey to the Guyanese people.
Changing its name from PNCR to APNU will not fool the electorate, and neither can David Granger divorce himself from the current PNC regime, “its atrocities, its neglect, its corruption, its thievery and its shame.”
Quite frankly, I think Mark Archer and APNU should pay Kaieteur News for the valuable space they’re now enjoying to shamelessly spew Granger’s talking points in his letters.
He’s beginning to rival Freddie Kissoon for his excessive ornateness of language, filled with anger and hate for the PPP/C Administration.
I advise Mark Archer to first consult with official APNU spokesmen before making reckless, erroneous statements like, “the country is being destroyed by criminals masquerading as leaders.”
For if this is true, why would Dr. Clive Thomas, a APNU Policy Committee member, declare they will embrace the PPP in a national unity government despite that party’s efforts to “wound” the APNU? This doesn’t make sense, does it?
Sources familiar with APNU indicate there are rising problems within that party that may put the final nail in the PNC coffin. The junior members of APNU are very nervous with the active role ex-GDF officers are playing in Granger’s campaign, and fear they may be taking over. David Granger himself seems to be putting some distance between himself and the tarnished image of the PNC in an effort to “paint” a new image for himself. This may account for APNU’s failure to agree on the content of their manifesto, and the composition for its members in the National Assembly in the unlikely event of them winning.
In a press conference held last Monday, APNU/PNC senior member Lance Carberry admitted there has been no major addition to that group in recent weeks, despite an open invitation to accept rejects from other political parties. He believes “there is a groundswell of grassroots support for the grouping which is promising Guyanese a unity government like never seen before on local shores.” He thinks the number of people supporting APNU is growing every day because people are “fed up and angry” with the way the government has dealt with the nation’s business.
You “Think” Mr. Carberry? There is no evidence that I have seen anywhere that would suggest you know what you’re talking about. I’m still anxiously awaiting some feedback on the meeting held last Monday in Brooklyn, New York, on the official launch of APNU’s North American campaign.
Apart from a vague article published online by Demerara Waves, no one would have known this event ever occurred. No photographs; no details on what was said or promised; no mention of the number of attendees, although I was reliably informed that the meeting started late, was disorganized, with no more than one hundred and forty persons present.
Amazingly, none of this appeared in Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, or on APNU’s official website and Facebook wall. Nothing either from their feature speaker Malcolm Harripaul, who has an enormous appetite for writing. Could it be the poor, embarrassing turnout that prevented this?
Surely when one compares the overwhelming reception that President Jagdeo and PPP/C Presidential candidate Donald Ramotar received at a crowded Club Tobago in Queens, New York, a few months ago, APNU’s leadership must now realize how unrealistic and impossible a campaign goal they’ve set themselves.
For if they cannot get 300 supporters to attend a well advertised meeting in a predominantly Black West Indian area of Brooklyn, New York, How do they intend to raise US$6 million to defeat the PPP/C?
In his Kaieteur News article of September 23, Peeping Tom articulates this thought extremely well, “That sum seems beyond APNU, unless of course they plan to pawn Guyana out, which is not something that the Guyanese people are ever going to accept. So it does seem as if APNU does not have an idea of how to set a realistic financial target for its campaign financing.
If APNU cannot do this, then how can it hope to be entrusted with the financial management of an economy which has grown far larger and more complex than when the PNC administered the economy?”
I could not have said it any better. I rest my case!

PHOTO OF THE DAY



PPP Presidential candidate Donald Ramotar share a light moment with PNC's ANPU Presidential candidate David Granger and several other senior PNC members

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

APNU flays Trotman-accuses AFC of race baiting in Berbice & South Georgetown

v/s

Writing in the letter published in the Kaieteur News today A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) PR front-man, Mark Archer took Alliance for Change (AFC) Prime Ministerial candidate, Raphael Trotman and some of his colleagues to task.
This latest attack by Archer stems from remarks Trotman made in an interview with Demerara Waves carried on September 25, 2011, in which he expressed his preference for the TUF join the AFC, rather than the PNC's APNU. When questioned at to the reasons for this expressed preference Trotman stated that it's because the PNC is yet to apologize for years of rigged elections.
Archer in response accused Trotman of speaking with both side of his mouth(an idiom which means a person is saying different things about the same subject when with different people in order to always please the people they're with) and charged that the party's co-leader, Khemraj Ramjattan and other members are guilty of spreading lies and rumours about the APNU, whilst inciting race-based electioneering in south Georgetown and West Berbice (Region 5).

Archer charged that when Trotman left the PNC it was ostensibly to create a partnership for national unity because of his supposed belief that the PPP and the PNC failed Guyanese voters, however all he (Trotman) did instead was to gather up the disaffected, the opportunistic, and the idealistic of all political stripes and formed AFC.
He said it was disingenuous of Trotman to criticize APNU by asking one of their partners to apologize for rigging, when a member of the AFC has indulged in questionable remarks, conduct, and associations? He did not name this member.

Archer closed by threatening to have researchers search the PNC archives extracting every speech made by Trotman whilst in the PNC in an effort to expose his every association with those “riggers”.

AFC Enmore rally attracts another handful

CN Sharma cooks up another charade.



Local rapist, politician and TV station owner Chandra Narine Sharma yesterday conjured up another in his long list of charades aimed at preventing his station from being penalized for its broadcast of an inflammatory commentary by PNC parliamentarian Anthony Vieira on May 4th.
Sharma yesterday claimed that a package consisting of an invitation to meet with the Minister of Information also contained a letter which order his TV station shut for one year. This lie was denied by a senior government official who also described it as an attempt to whip up public sympathy and preempt any suspension action by the regulatory body. This is CNS Channel 6's 5 violation of its license.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Harripaul and Archer two rotten peas in the same pod

Harry Gill: Almost every day in the independent media, there are letters written by Malcolm Harripaul and Mark Archer, attacking the PPP/C Administration while at the same time, praising the candidacy of APNU Presidential candidate, retired GDF Brigadier, David Granger.
I have no problem with the lies and distortion they propagate, for everyone enjoys free speech in Guyana. But I believe it is imperative for young people and more so, the voters in general, to understand the characters and motives of the persons that Granger has as his public relations propagandists.
One is more likely to believe a person of impeccable character, as opposed to someone with any type of baggage.
Former GDF officer, Malcolm Harripaul, is a man with a mission. He is determined to get even with President Jagdeo for ruining his ambitions years ago when he was working at Customs and Excise. The then Finance Minister Bharrat Jagdeo had, in my opinion, duly fired him.
But this is not what his friend Freddie Kissoon wants you to believe. For in his article published in Kaieteur News on November 17, 2010, Kissoon gave the impression that Harripaul was fired because Jagdeo warned him not to invite Kissoon to swim in the Castellani swimming pool.
He wrote, “For some reason, Jagdeo has always been terrified of Harripaul when the latter worked at Customs and Excise and Jagdeo was his boss as Deputy Finance Minister.
Harripaul refused to accept Jagdeo’s demand and dragged me out of my home to swim with the intention of cussing down Jagdeo if he showed up.
I declined with the stern warning to Harripaul that he would be dismissed. I explained to Harripaul that I would demand my right to swim by asking for President Jagan’s permission. I wrote Jagan and never heard from him. This was the second time I was evicted from a swimming pool, the first being Colgrain, under the PNC Government. Months after, Harripaul was fired.”
As usual, Freedie Kissoon deliberately mislead his readers, painting his friend Harripaul as a victim. But in reality, Malcolm Harripaul was fired by Bharrat Jagdeo for much more serious issues than swimming pool permission, and he will never forget that.
The other Granger propagandist, Mark Archer, another former GDF soldier, I know isn’t a Saint either. Maybe, in time, some of his army buddies could share their views on this.
Malcolm Harripaul and Mark Archer are two rotten peas in the same pod. These are the characters that David Granger surrounds himself with, who are essentially running his Presidential campaign. No wonder the other members that make up APNU are very nervous of the active role that ex-GDF soldiers are playing in his camp.
PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Donald Ramotar, should also be nervous about this, for in his address to his former army comrades on May 1, Granger asked them to be “vigilant” and be present at polling places. This request evokes painful memories of the 1973 seizure of ballot boxes by the GDF, that gave the PNC a two-thirds majority in Parliament. The same rigged election that the then former Political Liaison Officer to Forbes Burnham claims he knew nothing about.
Harripaul and Archer would do themselves some good if they acknowledge some of the ongoing progress in Guyana, rather than being so critical of everything the government does.
They complain about government discriminating against Guyanese of African descent, yet whenever government appoints an Afro-Guyanese to high office, the opposition calls the appointee ‘house-boy’ and other derogatory names.
They complain about the lack of accountability in government, yet it is the PPP/C who re-introduced the Auditor-General’s reports; Parliamentary oversight bodies; the Integrity Commission; an open bidding system for contracts that is open to public scrutiny; and stakeholders’ input and oversight in practically all national development projects.
They criticize Jagdeo for delays in passing the Freedom of Information Act, and condemned the Access of Information Bill legislation when it was finally tabled in Parliament to promote transparency and accountability in the workings of the government and public authorities. Yet they failed to give the PPP/C credit despite the opposition’s continued boycott in an attempt to railroad this bill and make Jagdeo look bad.
Hardly a day goes by without the announcement of some new developmental project somewhere in Guyana, yet if you believe the lies and misinformation spewed by Granger’s PR officers, the PPP/C government has done absolutely nothing for the Guyanese people.
The Jagdeo Administration is not without fault. Many projects could have been done better at a lower cost to taxpayers. But the President can’t be blamed for every wrong that goes on in Guyana.
Bharrat Jagdeo can be proud of his achievements and the solid economic foundation he will be leaving to his successor, and he rightly deserves much credit for this.
The development of Guyana is a work in progress and mistakes will be made. But Guyanese will be much better off with Donald Ramotar at the helm to get rid of all the deadwood and to continue the growth we’re now beginning to enjoy, rather than to elect the silver-hair fox to guard the chicken coop.

Convicted con-artist organising AFC fund raiser

CONVICTED Canadian-based Guyanese fraudster, Mr. David Singh is reported to be one of the main organizers of an upcoming fundraising event to be held in Toronto for the Alliance For Change (AFC) party.

Reliable sources in Canada yesterday indicated e that Singh has been circulating flyers and oganising the proposed fundraiser to be held shortly ahead of elections constitutionally due here before year-end.

According to an article in the Canadian daily, Toronto Star, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has revoked the registration of two charities it says were operated for Singh’s private gain.

The move to shut down charities promoted as tax shelters comes more than three years after the Toronto Star reported on Singh’s involvement and his controversial donation-for-profit strategies.

Destiny Health & Wellness Foundation and Liberty Wellness Initiative of Markham, Canada issued a total of Cdn$131M in charitable tax receipts in 2005 and 2006, according to the CRA.
But only a small portion of that amount was collected from public donations, and much of that went towards paying sales agents and companies Singh headed or owned, the Toronto Star reported.
Singh had earlier come to prominence in Canada as founder of the former 700-agent mutual fund organization, Fortune Financial Corp. and Infinity Mutual Funds Management Inc.
He sold those companies in 2000 after being disciplined three times by the Ontario Securities Commission.
Now he operates pay-day-loan and money transfer companies, while working to raise funds for a medical school in St. Lucia.
“I made very little money (promoting the charities and tax shelters),” Singh insisted. “It was nothing but pain. Most of the money (40 per cent) went to pay agents’ fees,” the Toronto Star quoted him as saying.
But Cathy Hawara, director-general of the charities directorate in Canada, referred in a March 2010 letter to “collusive contractual arrangements with directors and related parties who are themselves promoting the tax shelter programmes.”
“These arrangements,” she is quoted as saying in the missive, “have resulted in substantially all of the actual cash received being diverted into the hands of the promoters and related companies rather than used for charitable purposes.”
Destiny “has been established and operated for the private gain of Mr. David Singh,” another official alleges in a letter to Singh.
Singh, the official is quoted as saying, “in his capacity as president of the tax shelter promoters, president of each participating charity, and shareholder of all four corporations involved in the tax shelter, as well as the involvement of his family members, puts himself in a position to direct the movement of funds received from participant donors between and into his corporate entities within and outside Canada.”
Destiny issued a tax receipt for $10,000 for each $2,500 a ‘donor’ would provide as a security deposit for a loan. It was claimed that the loan was to be paid from investment returns over 10 years. Sales commissions and other fees were deducted from the security deposit.
Law professor Daniel Sandler commented after quickly reading the Destiny material in late 2006 that the scheme should have raised red flags for donors.
“It becomes an interesting question how $2,500 invested in whatever form of investment . . . is going to generate sufficient returns,” Sandler said, adding that regardless, “you are definitely going to be reassessed; I say that with almost 100 per cent certainty.”
Singh said participants have indeed had their tax credits denied, but are challenging the denials. He would not name the lawyers hired to defend participants in the scheme.

PNC’s APNU has no credibility to lecture Guyanese on management of the nation.




PNC's 1987 budget was titled '10 to 1 is murder' by the Stabroek News



The Stabroek News cartoon after Greenidge's 1987 budget presentation

Agri Min. Robert Persaud: “Guyana has recorded a solid macroeconomic performance in recent years, supported by prudent policies.” This is a direct quote from the World Bank. Compare this quote with an IMF staff report on Guyana during the PNC period and you will see the difference. Here is the IMF quote about economic management during the PNC period – “Following the1973–74 crisis and throughout the late-1970s and early-1980s Guyana’s political climate was marked by continued instability, the absence of dialogue and consensus-seeking, and a further weakening of key institutions, such as the rule of law. Production of all the major commodities declined sharply; public utilities and social services barely functioned; and real wages fell sharply (by 40 percent between 1976 and 1986). During the 1976–88 period, real GDP per head fell by 31 percent, inflation soared eightfold, foreign exchange reserves dwindled, and government debt rose from 31 percent of GDP to 475 percent. In1984, real GDP fell to its lowest level since 1955, and the size of the informal economy was estimated at 40 percent of the formal economy.”

These are not the words of political operatives but of the World Bank and IMF. They should be taken seriously, and certainly more seriously than the fanciful pronouncements of Carl Greenidge, the last PNC Finance Minister and now APNU economics tzar. What Carl Greenidge fails to admit is that the PPP/C Government has established a solid macro-economic environment. So robust is our economy that Guyana has been able to survive global food, fuel and financial crises unlike many larger economies. Further he ignores the fact that in 2010, the Guyanese economy (at current prices) was more than fifteen times the size it was in 1991 when he was at the helm.

But when Greenidge refers to the PNC track record in government, he seems to forgot what the IMF said, the Caribbean Council of Churches and the hardship every Guyanese experienced during that disastrous period of our country when mismanagement was the most outstanding feature.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Ramjattan complains bitterly to handful of people at AFC Uitvlugt meeting

-after the PPP/C's exposure of his lies


Complaining bitterly to a handful of spectators who turned out a public meeting held Friday night at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, AFC presidential candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan seemed bitter that the PPP/C is exposing his actions during the Freddie Kissoon v/s President Jagdeo libel case.

Ramjattan is one of several opposition Lawyers on Kissoon's defense team which built their defense around the lie that the PPP/C government is only looking out for the interest of people of Indo Guyanese ancestry. They have had several attempts to mislead the jurors thrown out after objection by Jagdeo's Lawyer, Anil Nandalall.

On the other hand Ramjattan as the Alliance for Change's(AFC) Presidential candidate has been going around the countryside areas preaching to Indo Guyanese that the PPP/C government isn't doing anything for them.

New media body IMAG launched


A new media body has been launched, promising to raise of the standards of the media in Guyana.
The Independent Media Association of Guyana ( IMAG) was unveiled at the Roraima Duke Lodge late Friday before a group of media workers, media proprietors, and members of the diplomatic corps.
The coordinator, Christopher Holder, explained that a core mandate of IMAG is to collaborate with media houses in promoting professional and ethical standards, and safeguarding and promoting the rights and privileges of all media workers, not only journalists. “ IMAG’s only goal is to raise the standards of all aspects of media in Guyana. It has no axe to grind, and will fairly and professionally execute its core mandate,” Holder, a media worker for two decades, insisted.

The organisation, he said, will respect and promote freedom of information, media freedom and the independence of the media in Guyana. The group, whose known members are drawn from the state media, says it will also protect and advance the interests of media workers at the national, regional and international levels through the exchange of information, training and other necessary interventions. In outlining another component of the core mandate, Holder stated that IMAG also intends to promote greater understanding of media issues through research, seminars and conferences, while promoting collaboration with organisations with similar media interest locally and abroad.

The organisation has attracted the support of UNESCO, an organisation that has been supported of many media- related activities. In fact, UNESCO is a funding agency for Radio Paiwomak in the North Rupununi. Representing the organ isation at Friday’s official launching was Inge Nathoo, who spoke of the role of the media and its right to expression. She stated that UNESCO is willing and reading to partner with IMAG in order to fulfil that entity's mandate. Acting President Samuel Hinds also delivered remarks at the ceremony and cocktail. He is pleased at the creation of such an organisation, and believes that it will serve a good purpose. The newly- formed organisation wants to immediately facilitate training for journalists ahead of the 2011 general and regional elections. Prominent among its plans is the hosting of an annual media awards to give outstanding media workers due recognition. IMAG, an initiative which started about a year ago, rivals the existing Guyana Press Association ( GPA), headed by Capitol News editor and anchor Gordon Moseley.

Preparations moving apace for GuyExpo 2011



Preparations for Guyana’s biggest annual trade show and exposition, GuyExpo, is moving apace, as booth space is in high demand at the National Exhibition Centre, Sophia, which is home to the Caribbean’s longest sustained exhibition.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad during a press conference at his Ministry, South Road, Thursday, said over 300 exhibitors have already indicated their participation.
“People who wanted six and more booths had to be limited because of the overwhelming demand from the private sector….and additional tents will have to be set up to accommodate those demands,” Minister Prashad said.
The main pavilion, he said, will be used to exhibit only locally made furniture and hardware products, including clay bricks and panel doors, while the over 120 booths in the annex will be allocated to local craft producers from throughout the country.
“There are different areas on the ground for displays from big companies, like Sterling, Banks and Ansa Mcal,” Minister Prashad informed.



The children’s play area is also relocated next to the Amerindian Village, “where a new stop was identified away from the hustle and bustle …so that parents can have their children in a less crowded area”.
The entire complex in Sophia, Minister Prashad said, has been given a new look and “ the old fence was pulled down and replaced….we also extended the fence 25 feet, so we have additional parking space for 400 more cars,” Minister Prashad said.
The old wooden structure that usually houses the services sector, Minister Prashad added, has been replaced with new, modern prefabricated /collapsible booths from Impressions.
“ So the tarmac area where the old building used to be has three brand new tents, with 90 additional booths….so we would not have people building any structure with zinc and plywood,” Minister Prashad explained.
He said that the area in front of the stage has been resurfaced, and all the electrical installations have been completed.
Garnett and Duncan Streets will be used for the entrance into the complex, while Dennis Street will remain the exit point, as usual.
Exhibitors, he noted, will also be benefiting from training prior to the opening of the exhibition to ensure very high standards of display.
GuyExpo began in 1995 as a once-every-two year event, but became annual in 2004.
“Not only local producers will be at the exhibition, but we also have delegations from nine countries, including Brazil and Suriname….we also have a lot of overseas buyers coming to the exposition to see what Guyana has to offer to the international market,” Minister Prashad said.

Amerindians speak how several government programmes improved their lives

Luncheon denies racial discrimination claim with scholarship allottees

-defence lawyers contradict themselves



HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon yesterday rejected the suggestion by Khemraj Ramjattan, another of the defence lawyers in the President Bharrat Jagdeo libel case, that 70 percent of scholarship awardees are Indo Guyanese.
Previously, the other defence lawyer, Nigel Hughes, had suggested to Dr. Luncheon that the majority of students who have been sent to study abroad are not Indo Guyanese, a clear contradiction to what Ramjattan suggested yesterday.
Dr Luncheon said that annually or aggregately, the number has never amounted to that percentage.
Dr Luncheon was asked whether the establishment of the Human Rights Commission under the Constitution is not important for persons who complain about racial discrimination. The Cabinet Secretary said the commission was not constituted, on the grounds that government is awaiting the leader of the Opposition who has failed to nominate a person for chairman.
Ramjattan questioned the witness about the role and functions of the Ombudsman, suggesting persons can go to complain about racial discrimination in the public service. Nandlall objected and pointed out that the functions of the Ombudsman are not matters of speculation, but are expressly stated in the Constitution.
Further it is stated in the Constitution that any grievance for which there is a legal remedy cannot be dealt with by the Ombudsman.
He continued that protection against discrimination is a fundamental right provided for by Article 149 of the Constitution, and any person who claims that he/she has suffered such grievance has uninhibited access to the High Court for redress under article 153 of the Constitution.
Nandlall further pointed out that article 92 of the Constitution specifically provides that matters concerning appointments and dismissal in the public service are expressly exempt from the office of the ombudsman.
“These are all matters which are contained in the Constitution,” the lawyer explained.
Ramjattan then passed to the court a text book written on the Guyana Constitution and again Nandlall objected, insisting that the Constitution itself be looked at.
Nandlall then passed the Constitution to the Court and after reading the provision of the Constitution, the judge upheld Nandlall’s objection.
There were heated arguments concerning the admission of a report prepared by Gay McDougal. When Dr Luncheon was being cross-examined on the report, he explained that the government prepared a repudiation of the report which he, as Cabinet secretary, organized.
He said he was unaware of the contents as a team of persons prepared it. The report was presented to the United Nations.
Attempts were then made to ask the HPS questions on the document, and Nandlall objected on the ground that the document was inadmissible and offered to put his objection and reason in writing.
The judge agreed, and ordered Ramjattan to do a response in writing. Ramjattan indicated that apart from the report, that would be the end of his cross-examination.
Nandlall then said he is prepared to commence re - examination when the matter comes up again on September 28.

The OLPF gives impetus to a goal embraced by the PPP/ C administration

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The 'Alliance' needs 'Change'


Sasenarine 'Thunderbolt' Singh

Baldeo Mathura: THE AFC's Sasenarine Singh is up to mischief again. Kaieteur News and Singh fooled no one as the erroneous contents of Singh's letter was deliberate and so too was its publication in the unedited form.
They both are anti-government and also both employ sensationalism and misinformation as a means of discrediting the government. So when Singh's letter titled "All hail the boy Emperor" found its way in the September 19 edition of the Kaieteur News, I was not surprised.
What surprised me though was the claim by this newspaper that it has noticed over a period of time that letters by Singh are usually riddled with statements not fit for publication.

It also said that some of the statements contained in Singh's latest letter were libellous, unsubstantiated and smacked of rank politicking designed to discredit the government.

This is quite an indictment from an opposition aligned newspaper on an official of the opposition party which projects itself as being an agent of 'change'. It now leaves one to wonder what 'change' might take place should these folks be given a chance to govern.

It is this type of behaviour by Singh which exposes the 'bottom house' mentality of the clique which now dominates the AFC hierarchy.
And it truly underscores the fact that the 'Alliance' needs 'Change'

Isn't it enough that the AFC & PNC/APNU have the Stabroek and Kaieteur News under their control?

First it was the APNU now the AFC is complaining about access to the state media. Based on what i've seen both NCN and the Guyana Chronicle cover APNU and AFC events but maybe these folks would like to influence the angle in which these events are covered.
But why should they worry about state media access when they have the 2 most widely circulated and supposedly 'independent' newspapers under their control, as well as 5 newscasts and about 6 TV channels.
Wasn't it these same political parties which called on their supporters to stop reading and patronizing the Guyana Chronicle?
Isn't it enough that they control the columnists and letters pages of both the Stabroek and Kaieteur news that they must now get MORE access to the state media?

If the Guyanese population is such a deprived one then where will APNU raise its $1.2B in campaign funds from?

The strategy of the opposition APNU is confusing. On one hand they seem desperate in trying to convince people to side with them by painting a picture of desolation and gloom in the country. And on the other hand APNU at one of its press briefings said the monies used for the Day of Appreciation for President Jagdeo, would have been better deployed towards easing the deprivation in the country.
But this same party is hoping to raise $1.2 billion dollars from the deprived population for its election coffers. You see the confusion here?
If Guyana is so deprived where are Guyanese businessmen and citizens going to find $1.2 billion just to allow the APNU to win the election? Where is this $1.2 billion coming from? Certainly, it cannot be coming from this “deprived” economy and its poor citizens.

Let us make no bones about it; the coming together of washed-up, aging politicians has failed miserable to capture the attention of the public so all sorts of public shenanigans are being used to make up for this failure. Be warned also that as the election date draws closer more outlandish and nonsensical pronouncements will be made

Judge agrees that Kissoon's Lawyer asking questions predicated upon false hypotheses


Court adjourned

ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Mr. Anil Nandlall yesterday accused his colleague on the other side of the President’s $10M libel case, Mr. Nigel Hughes of asking questions of the witness, Dr. Roger Luncheon which are predicated upon false hypotheses. Nandlall was referring to Hughes attempting to tender a document transferring property from GuySuCo but conveying the impression that the property was being transferred by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
After realizing that the court and the witness were being misled by Mr. Hughes, Justice Brassington Reynolds, upon an application by Nandlall, expunged from the record all the answers and questions in relation to that document.

That took place as the proceedings continued in the High Court before Justice Brassington Reynolds, who is presiding. President Bharrat Jagdeo has sued Columnist Freddie Kissoon, Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall and its Editor, Adam Harris, for libel.
Neither Lall nor Harris was in court yesterday but Kissoon, who is being represented by Hughes, in association with Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan and Mr. Christopher Ram, was. Hughes gave all assurances that the document he gave to Luncheon, from which he requested answers to questions he posed, was in no way intended to mislead the witness.

Cross-examination continued yesterday with Luncheon, who was questioned for a while on the contents of the controversial article written by Kissoon. The article ‘King Kong sent his goons to disrupt the conference’ is the basis for the case. Luncheon agreed with Hughes that Kissoon, as an academic lecturer at the University of Guyana (UG) was allowed to undertake research and come up with conclusions.
Hughes asked the witness a number of questions surrounding NICIL, including if he is a member of the Board of Directors, and whether he attended Board meetings.

ONE RACE

Hughes suggested to Luncheon that the composition of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Guyana was mainly of one race and that the individuals serving on it did not have the appropriate qualifications, citing Pro-Chancellor of UG, Dr. Prem Misir as an example.
Hughes also asked the witness whether it was true or not that those on the Board had to first secure Cabinet’s approval before appointment. To this, Luncheon agreed, but he noted that he was unaware of all the persons who are serving on the Board. He said his recollection was very slim.
Hughes then proceeded to list the persons serving on the Board, attempting to prove that they were predominantly of East Indian descent with just two members being of another race.
Luncheon responded that he cannot recall the composition of the Board, except that the Governor of the Bank, Mr. Lawrence Williams, was a member of the Board.

Dr. Luncheon was also asked if he agreed that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was made up of predominantly Blacks. Hughes then proceeded to ask about the current Assistant Commissioners of Police.
Nandlall objected and argued that, as a matter of law, Assistant Commissioners of Police are not appointed by the President and therefore that question is irrelevant. The Court upheld this objection.
According to Nandlall, the Police Service Commission (PSC) members are appointed by the President after going through a process outlined in the Constitution.
At one point in time there was a heated exchange between Hughes and Nandlall in relation to what the President is alleged to have said at a press conference.

Hughes stated that the President spoke about the evidence which the witness (Luncheon) intends to lead in re-examination, and that type of discussion can influence the outcome of the proceedings.
Nandlall countered that while he didn’t see the press conference, based upon what Hughes is alleging, there is no way that an impression can be conveyed that the plaintiff is attempting to influence the outcome of the case.
According to Nandlall, at its highest, the plaintiff is speaking to a type of evidence which would be elicited in re-examination and that there was nothing improper about that.
Nandlall contended that his client has never, and will never, attempt to influence the outcome of this case or any other case, and the complaint of Hughes is completely without basis.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

LONG GONE ARE THOSE DAYS...............



The public's response to the appreciation ceremony for President Jagdeo held recently did not deter the critics of the current administration from putting forward the usual conspiracy theories. And what is now considered a reflex action, they have attributed the massive turn out of Jagdeo well wishers this to all sort of factors.

People turned out in large numbers for several reasons. The most important of these is that it was President Bharrat Jagdeo who signed term limits into law. Guyanese know that this is a thousand times better compared to what the PNC leaders left behind – stolen elections, debt to the tune of billions, dysfunctional government, kick-down-door bandits, and more shortages of foodstuff and other basic items than anyone cares to recall. It is important to understand that unlike the hopeless years under Burnham, Hamilton Green, and Desmond Hoyte, the people went to the stadium event of their own free will.

Back in the PNC days, the government used state power to force, yes force entire work places, factories, ministries, churches, schools, and the like, to come out and line the streets for the Comrade Leader. Most people lined those streets for Burnham and Hoyte with a sense of shame because of a simple fact – they did not want to be there. David Granger was a big one then, serving the very people who were stealing elections. What hurts the APNU, AFC and the others is the fact that the Guyanese people did something quite decent. They publicly thanked the president for a job well done, and most of all for respecting the constitution of Guyana. By comparison when Hoyte reluctantly gave up office he dedicated himself to making Guyana ungovernable.

APNU's hypocrisy in campaign financing exposed.

APNU's recent foray into the media resulted in a protracted lecture on campaign financing and accusations that the government is using state resources for campaign purposes which is all a lie. Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira, exposed this lie and the deceitfulness of this grouping.
Teixeira said such comments by the APNU is pure "grandstanding", since APNU, which includes the largest political opposition, the PNCR, has failed to attend most of the meetings of the Special Select Committee of the National Assembly on the political parties campaign financing.
The PNCR is represented on the committee by Basil Williams, Deborah Backer and Dr John Austin.
The report of the committee, which was distributed in parliament and it evealed that the three representatives of the PNCR, now APNU, have been absent from most of the committee meetings.
Of the seven meetings of the committee, between June 2, 2011, and September 6, 2011, Backer did not attend any, while Williams and Dr Austin attended just three.

Teixeira said that APNU missed many opportunities to raise its concerns regarding the campaign financing, whether deliberate or not, but now sees it fit to go to the media, hoping it will draw the sympathy of the electorate.
The report also showed that both Williams and Dr Austin were scheduled to make presentations on campaign financing models used in other parts of the world; but they were not there on the day set for the presentations.
According to the report, the committee agreed to formally write members of the main Opposition PNCR, seeking clarification as to whether its absence from the meeting was an indication of its non-attendance at subsequent meetings of the Committee, the report adds.
However the PNCR members, the report says, continue to absent themselves from the meeting.

According to Teixeira, the very party that is now asking for the issue of campaign financing to be dealt with before it signs the Guyana Elections Commission's (GECOM) Code of Conduct failed to utilise the opportunities to get clarifications and its concerns addressed at the level of the Special Select Committee.

According to the PPP Parliamentarian, who also chairs the Special Select Committee on Campaign Financing, the Opposition parties have always been delinquent in reporting their campaign financing.
“The only Political party that has been reporting on its campaign financing is the PPP/Civic, except for 2006, when no party reported” Teixeira said.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Another AFC public flop

-Plaisance meeting attracts 17

Kaieteur News wades into Sasenarine Singh's penchat for scandlous, unsubstantiated statements

Kaieteur News yesterday published a letter written by AFC executive member Sasenarine Singh and was forced to apologize with claims that it inadvertently published the unedited version.
The newspaper which is no stranger to controversy carried a retraction today and also waded in to what it described as a pattern of scandlous, unsubstantiated statement by Singh.
It said that Singh's writings are usually riddled with statements which sometimes are not fit for publication and that some of the statements contained in the letter in question smacked of rank politicking designed to discredit those in higher authority.