URGENT REFORMS

Yesterday’s online edition of SN contained four separate articles about oil, the most important of which were reports of speeches by the Canadian High Commissioner and the United States Ambassador. In her farewell address, Ms. Lilian Chaterjee said that Guyana lacked the labour force needed for the ‘explosive’ oil-linked growth that is coming. The US […]

KEITH LOWENFIELD – A RUNAWAY TRAIN

Over the past few days, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Chair of Caricom, accused Keith Lowenfield, Chief Election Officer, of ‘gamesmanship.’ Having dumped 115,000 votes, the Prime Minister applied the word ‘bizarre’ to Guyana’s elections process. Representing Caricom, which has been described by President Granger as the ‘most legitimate interlocutor,’ Prime Minister Mottley characterised […]

SAD TO SAY

It is sad to say that the Global Witness report, “Signed Away,” analyzing EEPGL’s (the ExxonMobil controlled Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited) agreement with Guyana and the damning circumstances leading up to its signing, will not influence the vote of more than a handful of people, if so many, at the elections on March […]

CORRUPTION HAS NOW BECOME ENDEMIC

Challenges to transparency in Government have attracted public comment in the past two weeks. I make no allegation or judgment  on recent events since they are based only on newspaper reports. But apart from these recent matters, allegations of corruption and nepotism are to be expected in the absence of strict and enforceable rules, which […]

MISCONDUCT IN PUBLIC OFFICE

The offence of misconduct in public office carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. It is what is known as a ‘common law’ offence and is triable on indictment. This means that it is is derived from judge-made law of England which Guyana has legally inherited. And it is triable by jury. The maximum penalty […]