Guyana Observer News

 By Freddie Kissoon

If one should take a count of how many times columnists in countries like the US, France, the UK etc, write on their respective Head of Government, the figure would be high. No opinion-maker wants to keep his/her focus on the President or Prime Minister, but these people are so powerful that they make news every day. I took a look at Trinidad under Manning, the US with Obama, and France with Sarkozy. My survey revealed that each day in those countries, commentators singled out the PM or President for specific analysis. In Guyana, I say with unrestrained boldness, it is impossible to pen a commentary for four successive days without some attention being given to Mr. Jagdeo and the judgement will inevitably be harsh. I set out most days trying to avoid Mr. Jagdeo on this page. But I will never succeed. Mr. Jagdeo is too consistent a dictatorial, deceptive leader to ignore.

- reportedly dumps tyres on East Bank roadway

Police yesterday arrested a city businessman after he reportedly smashed the windows of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) belonging to a McDoom Village tyre shop owner during an early morning altercation. According to Ray ‘Tony’ Rutherford, who runs Tony’s Tyre Shop on the McDoom Public Road, a passing police patrol held Mark Vieira, a popular race car driver, during an incident in which several tyres were also thrown onto the four-lane highway. t was not the first time that the two businessmen would have faced off. Six months ago, following a dispute over an adjoining property, hundreds of tyres belonging to Rutherford were said to have been taken away, allegedly at the orders of Vieira, and dumped at the city furnace.

The National Assembly unanimously passed legislation last night which allows non-capital punishment for various categories of convicted murderers, but the death penalty remains on the books. The issue of a moratorium on the death penalty came up during the debate with opposition speakers saying the administration needs to go the full mile, and a call was also made for death row prisoners to have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. ut government said it is willing to go this far with the Criminal Law Offences (Amendment) Act and recognize the need for some concessions; not total abolition. Speakers on the government benches also dismissed suggestions that the legislation was due to international pressure.

PNCR-1G MP Winston Murray has officially declared his interest in the presidential candidacy. A release on his behalf said the announcement was made in his home town of Leguan on October 3rd.  It means there are now three candidates in the PNCR vying for the presidential candidacy: Murray, retired Brigadier David Granger and PNCR-1G MP Basil Williams. Murray, a former Trade Minister, was accompanied on his Leguan visit by  Mervyn Williams, MP; Eugene Gilbert; Dr Richard Van West Charles;  Aubrey Norton, MP; Priest Mwanza; Gillian Burton; PNCR Central Executive Member,  Mark Walkes;  Ronald Austin and others.

Police are checking on a possible link between the murder of Linden resident Devon Simpson, who was found with a bullet wound to the head at Sophia, and the murder of Linden McPherson, who was slain in a similar manner at Ituni. Simpson, 34, who was fished out of a canal separating Sophia and Meadow Brook last Tuesday, was identified yesterday by his brother, Dorian Simpson. The slain man, said to be a porter, is from Lot 40 Kara Kara Linden. he brother had requested to see the body after reading media reports that the dead man had a tattoo on his upper left forearm in the form of a marijuana leaf with the words ‘Jah Bless’. A police press release yesterday said that Simpson’s death may be linked to that of fellow Lindener, Linden Mc Pherson. “Police are following leads that this homicide may be connected to that of Linden Mc Pherson who was found dead on the Ituni Road with a single gunshot wound on Monday October 04, 2010,” the release said.

By Latoya Giles

Fisherman and father of five, Chetram Singh, 45, called ‘Monster’ who pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on Monday, last, was yesterday sentenced to 18 years imprisonment as the matter concluded before Justice Winston Patterson. Singh, of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was charged with the February 6, 2007 murder of his wife, Eileen Lall. Attorney at law Hukumchand, in mitigation, pleaded with the court to be lenient with Singh. The lawyer told the court that his client had not wasted the court’s time, and was fully admitting to the offence. He said Singh had admitted and had told the police that he worked very hard and he had accused his wife of being unfaithful. According to the lawyer, his client had gone to his wife’s house on the day in question and was verbally abused by her. He said in some way his wife’s reaction might have caused him to become enraged. Hukumchand in his 30-minute address to the court said that his client’s action could never be justified. The lawyer also cited various cases in support of his quest for a small sentence.

 By Freddie Kissoon

It is very difficult to analyse some aspects of Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s thinking. While some dimensions of his psychology are extremely ordinary and evaluation comes easily, there are defying aspects that confuse the political observer. His attitude to power is fairly obvious and in this context, he can be classified with Forbes Burnham.  No fan of Burnham would be so barefaced to deny the photographic fact that Burnham’s conceptualization of power was that it must be absolute. To argue against that in the face of the 1980 Constitution is foolish. It is not only that the Constitution empowered Mr. Burnham in prodigious ways. It is also the subtle manner in which the power was (is) glaringly tyrannical. Forget about some of the latitudes the Constitutions bestowed on him. Many other similar documents in democratic countries have resembling clauses. However there is some nastiness that was deliberately put in the document to make the President omnipotent. One article allows Parliament to impeach the President. There is a contradictory clause that entitles the President to dissolve Parliament.