It is difficult to avoid the shocking events of Wednesday last in the United States of America. But whatever the politics of those of us who are not US citizens, however limited our understanding of US history and politics, and whatever criticisms we may have of American domestic and foreign policies, it is a matter of vital importance for the world that American democracy, the world’s oldest, remains strong. American policy has not always benefitted all Americans or the countries which it has sought to influence, by peaceful or violent means. But, as in Guyana over the past twenty-five years, it was the existence of American democracy that enabled democracy in Guyana, the subversion of which the US initially influenced in the past, to be restored in 1992 and to be sustained in 2020. The survival of democracy in the US is vital for its survival in Guyana. And its survival in Guyana is a pre-requisite for the eventual success of attaining inclusivity in governance.
Continue reading “THE STORMING OF THE US CAPITOL”LEAVING BEHIND – THE YEAR OF THE HALF PERSON
By this time, the year of the half person would have passed. It took three courts to finally resolve this jurisprudential conundrum. The argument advanced to overturn the no confidence vote of 33/32 against the Government on 21 December, 2018, was that while mathematically, half of 65 members of the National Assembly is 32½, the existence of such a number of persons is an impossibility. So is adding a half person to 32½ to make 33. To arrive at the half of 65 persons, 32½ persons have to be rounded up to 33 persons and 1 whole person added. Hence, the majority of 65 is 34 and not 33. Justice Wit of the CCJ resolved the conundrum with a compelling argument – you know it when you see it, 33 is the majority of 65.
Continue reading “LEAVING BEHIND – THE YEAR OF THE HALF PERSON”VICTORY AT THE WORLD COURT
The International Commission of Jurists (World Court) ruled on Friday last that it has jurisdiction to entertain Guyana’s application with regard to the dispute concerning “the legal validity and binding effect of the award regarding the boundary between the colony of British Guiana and the United States of Venezuela, of 3 October 1899.” This great preliminary success on the issue of jurisdiction was achieved after a monumental degree of work over a long period of time by a large number of Foreign Ministry officials, consultants, experts, advisers and lawyers. Since 1966 many have labored on this matter.
Continue reading “VICTORY AT THE WORLD COURT”WILL THE REAL RAPHAEL TROTMAN STAND UP?
The letter published by Mr. Raphael Trotman in yesterday’s newspapers is worth reading. If it does not shock you to your vitals, you are not living in Guyana or you have never heard of Mr. Trotman. Mr. Trotman has been in the public eye for decades and, since the formation of the AFC in 2005, has presented himself as one half of the equation, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan being the other half, to bring about ethnic healing in Guyana’s politics.
Continue reading “WILL THE REAL RAPHAEL TROTMAN STAND UP?”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 Ambassador, Ms. Sarah-Ann Lynch, speaking at the Oil and Gas Summit, said that Guyana has to move quickly to show the world and Guyanese that it is ready for the immense transition underway. The words conveyed urgency.
Continue reading “URGENT REFORMS”