Wikileaks Cable reveals the personal opinion of former U.S Ambassador

President Bharrat Jagdeo described claims in a confidential United States diplomatic cable recently released by the whistle-blowing site, Wikeleaks by then US Ambassador to Guyana, Roland Bullen that Guyana is a country heading for narco-statehood and his administration appeared unwilling to fight the drug trade as just his (Bullen's) personal opinion. He said his presidency and the country’s profile would be unaffected by Wikileaks’ revelations. “If I allow an American ambassador’s view to put a damper on my feeling or my image, then I wouldn’t be fit to run this country. This is their opinion about what is taking place in Guyana,” he said. Against the background of Bullen telling Washington that Guyana was heading for narco-statehood and government was lukewarm to the narco-fight, Jagdeo dismissed such assertions and questioned the credibility. “I just want it to come out because it’s interesting to see ambassadors’ perspectives… I find a lot of amusing; it is like ambassadors speaking, their opinion, nothing is substantiated so I’m looking forward to more fun with Wikileaks, “ he said.

Glenn Lall, Christopher Ram & Sharma know the routes they took to achieve their millions yet they seek to label people 'corrupt'.

It is interesting that all this corruption in the public service we are now hearing about did not happen over overnight. The hardships imposed by the PNC whilst in government resulted in the once-honest Guyanese people being forced to resort to trickery and bribery to survive, until this behavioural mode became endemic and a way of life for Guyanese; who devised innovative ways to beat the imposed strictures – to the extent where some even became millionaires.

And Glenn Lall (Kaieteur News owner), Christopher Ram and CN Sharma know well the routes they took to achieve their millions, yet today they seek to pontificate on the behaviour of others and abrogate to themselves the right to call other businessmen corrupt in a litany of lies and distortion of facts that would shock even the devil.
The Biblical adage of taking the beam out of one’s eye before attempting to remove the mote out of the eye of another certainly applies in these instances.
Glenn Lall is being profit-driven in trying to destroy entrepreneurial rivals with his so-called ‘exposes’; and he allegedly receives advertisements galore from those businessmen whose rivals he destroys, while his editor Adam Harris is an unapologetic PNC propagandist who once ran the PNC organ – the New Nation. Both Ram and Sharma have aspirations to become president of Guyana.

Hoyte’s much-touted Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) was an IMF conditionality forced upon him

Persons protesting against food shortages and Burnham's banning
of certain food items

The absolute balderdash served up in the opposition media and by letter-writers and others in support of opposition parties, as well as opposition leaders themselves who tell barefaced lies in efforts to reconstruct history and restructure facts – all with a sanctimonious demeanour – and in local parlance they would be called bare-faced liars, often leaves one gasping in disbelief.
No return to Empty Rice Pots (ERP)
What also flummoxes those who know the truth is the fact that, despite unlimited evidence to the contrary, some persons who lived through the times of terror, deprivation and starvation and were even victims of the system, support the hypocrites who promise them the sun, the moon and stars when they get rid of the PPP/C administration, in spite of knowing that these very persons had only delivered destruction, chaos, and empty rice pots (ERP) when they ran the country.
And Carl Greenidge of all people: For him to be pronouncing on Guyana’s economy and corruption when he should be hiding his head in shame for presiding over the destruction of this nation’s economy which he admitted to in his budget presentations, is an abomination.
Hoyte’s much-touted Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) was an IMF conditionality forced upon him by the IMF when the PNC sought funding after they had wrecked this country in every way imaginable.
He was forced to concede to open up the press, open importation of banned items, re-establish a capitalist system in the country, agree to free and fair elections, and create a mechanism that would restore the nation’s economy on a solid footing before he could access any additional funding from International Funding Agencies.
Thus was the ERP conceptualized. But the resultant, punitive repercussions on the Guyanese public superseded any that Burnham had imposed. Added to the angst of the people was the freezing of Public Servants’ wages at $2,000; as well as the bargaining power of trade unions, which had already been severely restricted under Burnham.
One senior trade unionist was reported to have been taken in a plane and threatened with being dropped into the Demerara River if he did not accede to Burnham’s wishes, which he was allegedly forced to do; until Dr. Cheddi Jagan, upon assumption of office in 1992 told the IMF to shove their conditionalities, unfroze Public Service wages, and restored bargaining power to trade unions.
So President Jagdeo’s advice to the youths to research their past is full of merit, unless they want a repeat of the consequences of a PNC, or a PNC coalition in Government.

How come the opposition media in Guyana gave very little coverage to a fraud case involving Trevor Rupnarain?

How come the opposition media in Guyana gave very little coverage to a fraud case involving U.S based Guyanese Lawyer Trevor Rupnarain?
Well he is the Brother-in-law of Stabroek News editor-in-chief, Anand Persaud.
Rupnarain, also a registered real estate broker was among 17 defendants charged in a mortgage rescue fraud case during May last year.

Federal authorities alleged that Rupnarain and the other co-accused were contacted by distressed owners seeking to save their homes from foreclosure, and they responded by stripping $3 million in equity from 26 properties, leaving the owners worse off than they were to begin with.

Is it the same APNU/AFC grouping which said it would privitize GUYSUCO now speaking?

The Guyana Sugar Corporation has noted the sweeping and generalized statements concerning the sugar industry in Guyana emanating from the APNU/AFC grouping without first trying to understand the complexities of the operations in the sugar industry. Key to their misinformation has been the Skeldon Sugar Modernization Project which has been actively engaging the attention of the Corporation and our shareholder the GoG.

It is no secret that the technology used in this project is the first of its kind in this region and no one expected this transition to be smooth and trouble free. With Skeldon being the largest sugar factory in Guyana it is a fact that a larger percentage of production will be expected and because of its peculiar challenges, including external factors production has not been as expected. However, it is public knowledge the intense effort which has been ongoing including collaborative engagements with overseas experts all geared towards improving production at Skeldon and a timeline of 2012 has been identified whereby such targets will be achieved. It is perplexing that some organizations now feign ignorance of the efforts underway to address the challenges at Skeldon, when a Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economics team comprising of both Government and Opposition members had a detailed inspection of the facility on April 29 2010 and none other than the late PNC/R Chairman Winston Murray had praised the intense efforts to address the issues at the facility.

Regarding the issue of transparency, one must recalls that throughout the nationalization period of the industry, certain management practices had to be observed in keeping with the state of ownership of the industry. More particularly since 1992 enhanced public accountability and financial probity preoccupied the attention of policy makers as well as management. Hence, all major contracts concerning the industry have been awarded under the strict rules and procedures governing the award of such contracts. The last two major contracts undertaken by the Corporation that is the Skeldon Sugar Modernization Project and the Enmore Packaging Plant have both been awarded by GuySuCo in strict adherence to the tender procedures. We therefore categorically reject any assertions by the APNU/AFC political grouping that the engineering firms which were selected to undertake these projects have been selected based on any other consideration whatsoever. Their citations and fulminations inaccurately reflect the reality facing the industry and would appear that this grouping is hoping to score cheap political points at the expense of the industry based on distortions and misleading information.

GuySuCo would like to reiterate its position that it will continue to follow laid down procedures in the award of future contracts in its usual open and transparent manner. It is also interesting to note that it is this same APNU/AFC grouping which has maintained a steadfast opposition to Government investments in the industry over the past few years while a section has publicly articulated its plans to dismantle the sugar industry in Guyana. We therefore will not countenance innuendos, speculation and misleading information which have been publicly aired by the APNU/AFC. We do not intend to be caught up in any political debate with political parties, some of which clearly demonstrate sinister motives.

Declassified British documents reveal details of MI5 involvement in overthrow of Cheddi Jagan Government

British Soldiers disembarking in Georgetown

(AP)LONDON -- It was a very British coup. The warship slipped into the harbor, the soldiers landed in darkness - and the diplomatic wives made sandwiches for the hungry troops.

Secret documents declassified Friday by Britain's MI5 security service reveal in dramatic and everyday detail how the U.K. under Prime Minister Winston Churchill overthrew the elected government of British Guiana - now Guyana - because he feared its left-wing leader and his American wife were leading the British colony into the arms of the Soviet Union.

The documents reveal how British spies kept up intense scrutiny on Cheddi and Janet Jagan, who founded the People's Progressive Party to campaign for workers' rights and independence from British rule for the sugar-producing colony in northern South America.

Christopher Andrew, the spy agency's official historian, said the files provide new details of the coup, and "further evidence that MI5 played a more important part in British decolonization than is often realized."

The Jagans - a U.S.-educated former dentist and his Chicago-born wife - seem an unlikely threat. But the 39 folders of files released by Britain's National Archives are crammed full of tapped phone conversations, intercepted letters and accounts of physical surveillance over more than a decade.

In 1951, the year after the Jagans founded their party, an MI5 agent based on the Caribbean island of Trinidad described them as "something new in British Guiana politics."

"Both are able and intelligent and the mere fact that Janet Jagan is white, young and not unattractive in appearance lends considerable interest to her activities and those of her husband," he said.

To British authorities, the Jagans were a headache. To the Americans, they were a potential Communist threat on America's doorstep.

MI5 concluded that the party was "not receiving any financial support from any Communist organization outside the country."

Nonetheless, amid worsening strikes and unrest, Britain grew unhappy with the Jagans' "disruptive antics."

After the party won a huge majority in British Guiana's 1953 election, making Cheddi Jagan prime minister, Churchill decided to act.

"We ought surely to get American support in doing all that we can to break the Communist teeth in British Guiana," Churchill wrote to his colonial secretary.

In the end, Britain acted alone, mounting a military operation code-named Operation Windsor. Churchill dispatched a warship, HMS Superb, and brought hundreds of troops by air and sea to secure key sites.

On Oct. 9, Britain suspended Guyana's constitution, fired its legislators and arrested the Jagans.

The surprise military operation went according to plan. The Trinidad-based MI5 officer noted with quiet satisfaction that "it was obvious that the PPP leaders had no idea that the Constitution would be suspended or that they might be arrested."

And the spy threw in a note of thanks for the women who helped the army march on its stomach.

"I might add in parenthesis that catering arrangements for the airborne troops during their halt in Trinidad were carried out by Mrs. Beadon, wife of the Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Rahr, my wife and Joyce Huggins ... and I understand that no less than 600 large sandwiches were cut by these ladies," he wrote.

An outraged Cheddi Jagan appealed by telegram to Britain's opposition Labour Party for help. Labour leader Clement Attlee replied curtly, "regret impossible to intervene."

For the next three years, British Guiana was ruled under emergency powers by the British governor and appointed officials, and the Jagans were kept under house arrest and intensive surveillance.

In the years that followed, MI5 softened somewhat toward Cheddi Jagan, acknowledging that he was an astute and popular politician - though the agent based in Trinidad strongly disliked Janet Jagan, whom he described as a committed Communist "uncompromising in her hatreds."

By the 1960s, Britain's spies worried the Jagans would turn to newly Communist Cuba, possibly making Guyana a base for Latin American revolutionaries.

"If the Jagans remain in power after independence and if their activities and views remain unchanged, they will represent a threat to the stability both of British Guiana itself and of the neighboring territories," the officer wrote.

Andrew said it's clear from previously released government documents that successive British governments "gave in to pressure from the White House to allow the CIA to use subterranean means to ensure that the first leader of independent Guyana in 1966 was not Cheddi Jagan."

"In most British colonies, there was a relatively friendly transfer of power to independent governments," Andrew said in a podcast for the National Archives. "British Guiana was a notable exception."

The Jagans remained a major force in Guyanese politics, and Cheddi Jagan became prime minister again in 1961, when the batch of MI5 files ends.

After the Cold War ended, Cheddi Jagan served as president of Guyana from 1992 until his death in 1997. His wife succeeded him between 1997 and 1999.

Internationally recognised Geologist lauds government’s efforts to regulate local mining industry

The government has come in for high praise for moving to better regulate the local mining industry and creating the “suitable environment” to attract foreign investors. Lawrence Roulston, Geologist and editor of the newsletter ‘Resource Opportunities’ says Guyana is a country only beginning to develop its gold resources, where a supportive government and rising global demand may lead to a growth in the industry.

Lawrence Roulston

“The exploration and development process is still at an early stage and investor awareness is just beginning to pick up about the potential of the country,” said Roulston.
“For a long time it (Guyana) had a political situation that wasn’t favourable for mining and that situation has now turned around totally so that the government is actually very supportive of international mining companies,” Roulston said.
The internationally recognized Geologist pointed to the efforts by government in recent years to increase the revenue from gold mining and attract foreign investment, as well as better regulate an unruly industry.
The last underground mine in Guyana was Canadian-owned Cambior’s Omai mine, which was closed in 2005 after the collapse of a toxic tailings dam, but once again international companies have been exploring the country for viable operations.
The Geologist pointed to the environmental challenges that exist especially by small “surface top” miners.
However, he lauded the government’s efforts at creating the suitable environment to attract large scale gold mining investors to develop underground extraction operations which stand to better serve both the local human population and the environment where they live.
“The government is trying hard to stop that environmental mess of the small miners and instead have the international companies come in and conduct real mining operations where they go down hundreds of meters but create a much smaller footprint,” said Roulston.
“The idea of establishing mining operations that bring stability and long-term employment opportunities would be a huge benefit to the country and that’s part of the government’s push to create the stable long-term employment that would lead to healthcare and education and some of the other benefits to the remote areas,” he said.
The growing global demand is attracting a number of foreign gold exploration companies to Guyana.
Guyana Frontier Mining began acquiring interests in the country in 2007, and has begun reporting drilling results for their projects.
GMV Minerals Inc. is another company which picked up a very large property position from the largest surface miner in Guyana and is now in its early stage but has a very extensive property position with numerous surface mining projects under way.

More Freddie Kissoon lies EXPOSED!!!

Mavis Lawrence: I COULD not stop laughing (yesterday) morning while I was reading another Anancy story by Freddie Kissoon: ‘Mavis Lawrence is a man’, published in the Kaieteur News on Aug 24.
Kissoon, true to form, tries to ridicule a letter writer, rather than dealing with the substantive issues. And notice how he is always obsessed with a person’s sexual orientation. If I were a psychiatrist, I would be saying ‘hmmm’, right about now.
The University of Guyana (UG) Strategic Plan is not rocket science as Kissoon seems to think it is “technical”; it is a simple matter.
The university (any university) has to effect cost-cutting measures in this era of reduced government funding and a global financial crisis.
I never mentioned any details of UG Council meetings. Everything I discussed in my letter is in the public domain. They were addressed by none other than the Minister of Education at a press conference and subsequently in the print medium.
I marvel at his logic in trying to debunk my existence by searching the telephone directory, etc. Here’s a clue for you Kissoon, if my number is private, good luck finding me in the directory. And, is he not aware that all Guyanese are not domiciled in Guyana? Thank God, this man is neither a detective nor a lawyer!
In closing, I categorically state that Mavis Lawrence is REAL and I am ALL woman.

Impress Youth Expo angers dinosaurs who want to re-write history

THE organizing youths of IMPRESS have noticed that the old relics, who have exercised total control with an iron grip over the Guyana Trade Union Congress(GTUC) over the years, have clearly been angered by the participation of thousands of youths from all across Guyana at the recent Youth Expo hosted at the International Convention Centre. It is interesting to note the new-found concern for the nation’s youths by the GTUC, and its allegation that “there is no youth policy that would attend to the developments of youths in a structured and equitable manner.”

The fact that the GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis openly indicates that the youths of today are not better off than previous generations, clearly indicates that this Rip Van Winkle is yet to awake from his slumber.
Lewis, of all persons, should know what the generations of the past were doing, as opposed to now, when youths are being educated in the hundreds of new schools all across this nation, built over the past 19 years, and the hundreds more which were rescued from total collapse since 1992.

Lewis should know that the University of Guyana, which continues to educate students from all walks of life, was built by the PPP Government before it was forced out of office by local elements working with foreign forces, including some of the trade unions and the TUC. This is well documented.

They were the ones who were being paid to sow the seeds of division and destruction in our society, destroying the future of all our youths in this nation. The PPP has been trying effortlessly to heal such divisions, and rebuild after the destruction, despite the constant opposition which is clearly illustrated in the vile ranting of Lewis. Read more......

Opposition racism claims far from reality-Local Gov't Minister

Recent claims by members of the Opposition political parties, including the Alliance for Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) now “A Partnership for National Unity “ (APNU) came in for heavy criticisms from the government, as the administration said claims by these parties that only Indo-Guyanese are being given key positions in government are far from the reality. Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker, who himself has strong Afro-Guyanese roots, dispelled the notion that the Bharrat Jagdeo’s administration operates within the confines of racism. Several key operatives of the opposition claim that the administration has been marginalising Afro-Guyanese and are pushing those of Indian descent.
However, Minister Whittaker highlighted the significant number of Afro-Guyanese who have been placed in senior government positions under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, including government ministers, permanent secretaries, and heads of agencies, among others.

Minister Whittaker said in the various government ministries, most of the permanent secretaries, and those in senior positions are Afro-Guyanese; he pointed too to the number of government ministers who are of African descent.

“Within the Cabinet, if I am to start with the Honorable Prime Minister, include the head of the Presidential Secretariat, include Minister of Public Service, Minister within the Ministry of Finance, yours truly, Minister Robeson Benn, who holds a very key Ministry in this country, these are examples of Blacks in whom our President Bharrat Jagdeo has placed confidence, and they hold key positions,” Minister Whittaker argued.

He added, “Blacks hold key positions in the public service, culture youth and sport, human services and social security, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Housing and Water, these are all Black permanent secretaries; the Ambassador, the Director General (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the Deputy Finance Secretary (Ministry of Finance), these are all Blacks holding key positions within our public sector,” the Minister added.

Minister Whittaker also pointed to the key positions that Afro-Guyanese hold within the security sector, which demonstrates the government’s trust in such a critical grouping.

The minister’s sentiment has debunked a particular argument that president Jagdeo is racist and as such, the government practises racism.

The minister is charging those making the claims to come forward with the evidence of racism and marginalisation being practised by the government.

He believes that the Afro-Guyanese society is being led by a few with political agenda to believe that the government is practising marginalization.

According to the minister, the cry about marginalisation has always been supported by political elements.
He however pointed to an era when marginalisation and racism was rampant, when Mr. Burnham decided to dismiss or re-deploy 40 percent of public service employees. The upshot was that many Indo-Guyanese chose to leave their jobs. Read more...........