In 2010 I wrote an article on the overseas vote in which I argued that the Constitution of Guyana permitted all Guyanese citizens over the age of 18 to vote. Since there was no residence stipulation, Guyanese residing overseas have a right to vote. As readers would imagine, it elicited some controversy. I was a member of the leadership of the PPP at that time. Mr. Robert Corbin, then leader of the PNCR, in a masterful display of irony, accused the PPP of seeking to re-introduce the overseas vote which, incidentally, the PNC had facilitated and grossly manipulated in the 1968 elections so much so that voters were registered as residing at the address of a horse pasture in the UK. The PPP was forced to issue a denial. Because of the increasing engagement of the diaspora in local affairs, and periodic inquiries as to their right to vote, I had expected that at some time a legal challenge would be instituted by an overseas resident for an order declaring that he/she had the right to vote and that the Guyana Government was obliged to facilitate that right. This did not materialize.
Continue reading “THAT ‘BLOATED’ ELECTORAL LIST”THE TRIAL OF GEORGE FLOYD
A tall and big African-American man, George Floyd graduated from high school and attended college on sports scholarships for several years before dropping out. He was as talented at sports, both basketball and football, as he was as a rap singer at which he attempted to build a career. But hard times caught up with him and for several years he was involved in petty, and sometimes not so petty, crimes. But he finally turned his life around and went to Minneapolis from Houston in search of opportunities. While he continued to battle opioid addiction, he remained employed in various jobs, campaigned against violence and engaged in charitable activities. He had a young daughter and a girlfriend, Courtney Ross. They first met when he saw her crying at a Salvation Army facility. He comforted her and invited her to pray with him.
Continue reading “THE TRIAL OF GEORGE FLOYD”MEDIATING THE POLITICAL IMPASSE
The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Joe Harmon, has lamented the neglect by the Caricom Secretariat and its Chairman, Prime Minister Keith Rowley, of acknowledging his letters requesting their mediation of the current stalemate between the Government and Opposition. The stalemate has arisen because the Opposition Leader’s request of President Ali for a meeting to discuss matters of state has been rejected by President Ali, who demands recognition of the Government as a condition for the meeting.
Continue reading “MEDIATING THE POLITICAL IMPASSE”THE THEFT OF IMMOVABLE PROPERTY
Allan Price, now deceased, lived abroad but owned a portion of land in Queenstown which, by definition, is “immovable property.” So is land with building, similarly owned. In 2004, Ann Jennifer Jeboo forged his name on a power of attorney, giving her power to sell his land. She sold it to Marlene Todd for $4 million. Todd had no knowledge of the forgery. Price discovered the forgery and sued Jeboo and Todd to set aside the sale and deem the transport void.
Continue reading “THE THEFT OF IMMOVABLE PROPERTY”I HAVE HAD MY COVID-19 VACCINE
In 1918-1919 the flu epidemic, the H1N1 virus, infected 500 million people, or one-third of the world’s population. It is estimated that 50 million people died, 675,000 or whom were from the United States. In 2020-2021, so far, 119 million persons worldwide have contracted covid-19. 67.3 million have recovered and 2.63 million have died. This is nothing on the scale of 1918-1919, but smaller scale epidemics have alerted experts and governments that a larger outbreak like covid-19 is possible. Little preparation has been made.
Continue reading “I HAVE HAD MY COVID-19 VACCINE”