The Carter Center (the Center) and its team visiting Guyana are experienced Guyana hands, who care about Guyana and its future. In its preliminary report the Center noted that it commenced work in Guyana in 1991 and observed 5 of Guyana’s elections out of the 125 it has observed worldwide. The Center noted that it has conducted a range of activities in Guyana, including helping Guyanese articulate a comprehensive vision and development strategy; supporting civil society groups working to advance the status of women, youth, and Amerindians; assisting judicial system reform programs in partnership with the High Court, the chief justice, the Guyana Bar Association, and the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers; facilitating conflict resolution efforts in support of peace and political dialogue; and supporting government, industry, and civil society stakeholders to comply with the requirements of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. What the Center did not mention is that the foundations of our electoral system, similar to those of most countries in the Caribbean Region and wider afield, were based on the reforms mediated by then head of the Center, former President Jimmy Carter.
Continue reading “THE CARTER CENTRE’S PREELECTION GUYANA STATEMENT”A VICTORY FOR PUTIN
The unanimous opinion of American observers is that Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, scored a major victory by merely securing an invitation to visit the United States. The embellishment of the victory by a red carpet welcome, a warm handshake, a Jet Fighter Escort, a ride with President Trump in his limousine and speaking first at the press conference, has infuriated Western journalists and observers. The isolation of President Putin by the West has ended.
Continue reading “A VICTORY FOR PUTIN”WILL THE ELECTIONS SHAPE GUYANA’S FUTURE DESTINY?
The opening lines of Friday’s editorial in Stabroek News states: “Guyana will hold elections that will shape its future destiny.” Similar words have been written before previous elections. But if I were to choose three elections that shaped Guyana’s destiny, it would be the elections of 1968, 1973 and 1992. 1968 ushered in the era of rigged elections and economic decline. In the 1973 elections the PNC gave itself total power by way of a two-third majority which a large section of the middle class approbated as reflected by the public statement of seventeen of Guyana’s most prominent lawyers supporting a two-third majority for the PNC.
Continue reading “WILL THE ELECTIONS SHAPE GUYANA’S FUTURE DESTINY?”A BRIEF HISTORY OF ELECTIONS
A brief history of Guyana’s elections allows for the predicting of election results. In developed countries, observers rely on pollsas a guide. In Guyana, reliance can be placed on historic patterns of ethnic voting, to which can be added circumstances that emerge at some elections.
Continue reading “A BRIEF HISTORY OF ELECTIONS”MASS STARVATION IN GAZA
After Hamas emerged from the concentration camp that Israel had made of Gaza on October 7 and perpetrated its mass atrocity on Israeli civilians and military personnel, Israeli officials made their intentions of imposing mass starvation on Gazans unambiguously clear. Yoav Gallant, then Defence Minister, announced and immediately implemented Israel’s policy of mass starvation which has been sustained until today, except for the brief period of the ceasefire between January and March. He said: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
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