Guyana Observer News

Public spirited citizens nabbed a would-be thief yesterday minutes after he had robbed a young couple at knife-point in the Botanical Gardens. n eyewitness told Kaieteur News that the  couple was relaxing on a bench immediately near the Botanical Garden’s Regent Street entrance at about 10:30hrs when the thief struck. The source said that the thief pressed a knife to the young man’s back and forced the victim to hand over a gold chain and DVD player. Photographers who ply their trade in the Botanical Gardens then saw a man sprinting out of the Gardens while shouting ‘Thief, Thief!’ ut then another young man came up to them. He pointed to the one who was  shouting ‘thief’ and said: “Ah jus geh rob … dat man tek meh DVD player and gold chain.” The photographer and his colleagues gave chase behind the thief who by this time had sprinted across Vlissengen Road and was on Regent Street.

Chairman of Region Seven, Holbert Knights has expressed concern that police at Bartica are “severely handicapped” when responding to crimes in the interior of the gold-mining region. He also voiced alarm that violent incidents have risen Holbert Knightssharply and consequently more persons have to be referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital resulting in the bill to transport these victims rising steadily. According to Knights, while the police are “trying”, they are handicapped by the lack of transportation to respond promptly to incidents in the interior while the number of ranks stationed there is inadequate to cover Bartica as well as the surrounding areas. However, he said, the police have been able to deal efficiently with the cases that have come to their attention.

Dear Editor,

This country sickens me to the core. The level of waste, corruption,mismanagement and inefficiency that surrounds this nation is staggering. $254 million already down the drain for an election that never came off the ground. Beyond the inglorious mockery of democracy and the savage denial of the constitutional rights of the citizenry, this was another act of ripping off the poor tax-paying people of this nation. Political fiends continue to push this nation further down its hole of ignominy. Imagine spending US1.27 million or $550 per voter and not holding election. A lot of people got paid for nothing. And the Chief Election Officer tells us that there are still outstanding liabilities. There is still more wastage coming. By next year we will be spending this and more on another election. The politicians are to blame. All of them. They have kicked Guyanese in the teeth yet again with this move. It seems like nobody cares anymore.

Yours faithfully,
Michael Maxwell

By Freddie Kissoon

The third term question comes up all the time whenever I meet strangers who want to discuss politics with me. There is definitely a huge curiosity out there about Mr. Jagdeo’s intention. The fuel for this inquisitiveness is Mr. Jagdeo himself. You can say we are into September and Mr. Jagdeo is left with just about eight or nine months of power. But he carries on as if he is not a leader about to demit office. Any curious mind would be encouraged to ask about his political ambition. You can just reel off your head the movements of the President that generate questions about the third term. He is into a rush to start a Marriott Hotel. In a style reminiscent of Rudolph Hess, he landed in Buxton. He is banking on the realization of his LCDS project. Entertainment projects are filling up the National Stadium faster than the waters that deluged Pakistan.  Frequent arrangements are being signed with foreign governments that necessitate a travel itinerary more packed than a movie superstar.

Introduction

 By Christopher Ram

After what appeared to be a lull in the roller-coaster ride of the medium and small-scale gold miners, the fraternity is once again questioning the good faith of those who control the ride’s levers, and is in mortal fear of its own survival. In February 2010, Bartica, the gateway to the interior was shut down by that community amidst fears that the industry was being made a hostage to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), and more particularly the Guyana-Norway Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The industry or rather the sub-sector was concerned that its operations were becoming subject to the Guyana Forestry Commission, with a six-months waiting period for approval for mining in any new area and the reduction in the claims any one person could hold.

The police force has recognized that there is a link between the upsurge in armed robberies for hard cash and big entertainment shows but some promoters say that this is an unfair assumption which should be backed up with evidence. “We have established that persons commit these crimes when there are these shows from overseas. Not that it has anything to decry the overseas shows… it seems that some people (the bandits) try to get money before these shows,” Police Commissioner Henry Greene said. Greene was responding to questions on whether the police see a link between a sudden spate of robberies and recent concerts headlined by international artistes.

 By Stella Ramsaroop

It gives me a headache whenever I ponder the condition of the opposition parties in Guyana. The frustrating political impotence, hodgepodge antics, head-spinning personality eccentricity and all around nerve-wracking extravaganza are enough to give anyone a permanent migraine. It is difficult to put a finger on exactly what it is that causes the opposition parties to seem so dysfunctional. Perhaps it is because they appear to be so very out of sorts a majority of the time. Sometimes it is like watching a circus and one cannot even guess as to what will happen next. It certainly is not unheard of to have an opposition party make a decision one day that changes the very next day. For example, will the AFC join an alliance with other parties for the upcoming elections? Yes, no, maybe…down the road…it cannot be ruled out. How can anyone know what to think about the AFC when those in charge do not even know what they think?

By Adam Harris

The August holidays are almost at an end. Children who felt that they had mastered the arts of the three Rs enough to take a break went off and did just that. Others went to remedial classes for a few weeks and the more affluent enjoyed a holiday out of the country. These holidays were my favourite because they offered me the longest break away from school and books. It was during these holidays that I learnt to swim, catch crabs, hunt and do so many other fun things. I learnt to make things like tops and cutters or spinners and of course, play cricket and the other boy games. They also provided me with a lot of experiences that stand me in good stead today. I became observant, actually figured out solutions to so many of life’s problems and explored the ways of the world. I made slingshots and hunted birds although I must admit that I did not have the guts of others to kill birds just for the sake of sport.