Guyana Observer News

 (In photo: B Division Commander, Steve Merai)

Senior officials of the Guyana Police Force are maintaining that Magistrate Chandra Sohan refused to submit to a breathalyzer test following an accident on the Coldingen Public Road on the East Coast of Demerara, last Thursday. In fact, the police are claiming that following his refusal, they had opted to have the Magistrate submit to a blood test at the Fort Wellington Hospital after he was detained by police in that district. Divisional Commander of the Police East Coast Division, Assistant Commissioner Gavin Primo told Kaieteur News that following the accident, the Magistrate was invited to the Vigilance Police Station with a view to have him submit to a breathalyzer test after ranks suspected that he was under the influence of alcohol.

Alliance For Change Chairman and Presidential nominee Khemraj Ramjattan is due to head a party delegation to a meeting with a US State Department official in Washington to mobilize pressure on the Guyana government over alleged malpractices in a number of sectors. The AFC said in a news release yesterday that Ramjattan  and senior leaders from the NY/NJ Chapter will be meeting with officials from Amnesty International and the Department of State. The AFC chairman will also be meeting with the US Mission at the United Nations in New York.

The “political moment” is moving in the favour of fundamental change, according to WPA Co-leader Professor Clive Thomas, who says opposition forces have to put themselves in a position to shift the power structure away from the PPP/C’s exclusive domain. “There is a growing rise in the consciousness of several sections of the people, including even supporters of the PPP/C, that you cannot continue to rule in the old way,” he said last Wednesday at a WPA-organised “Groundings” discussion. “It cannot be business as usual. And there is therefore an imperative there driving for change.”

The United States has found that the Government of Guyana publicly encourages foreign direct investment and has a strong track record of attracting government-to-government development assistance but attracting private sector investment is poor. This is according to the latest Economic and Commercial Newsletter published which has stated that recent developments, however, could lead to large investments in coming years in the hydroelectric and petroleum sectors. The report notes that while sufficient legislation exists in Guyana to enable foreign investment in the country, its implementation and enforcement is often inadequate. It is pointed out that where legislation does exist, the lack of regulations generally inhibits their effective implementation.

-says never served with summons

Magistrate Haymant Ramdhani yesterday recalled an arrest warrant he had earlier issued for former High Court Judge Jainarayan Singh Jnr and he has ordered an investigation in the preparation of a recognizance. Last Friday, the warrant was issued at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court for Justice Singh after he was charged with four separate traffic-related offences, which he allegedly committed last Tuesday at Enmore, East Coast Demerara. Court documents show that Justice Singh was charged with failing to submit to a breathalyzer test; being an unlicensed driver; breach of insurance and driving an uncertified motor vehicle. Reports are that on August 10, Justice Singh was involved in an accident at Enmore, East Coast Demerara around 10 pm.

by Khalid Baig

Fasting during Ramadan was ordained during the second year of Hijrah. Why not earlier? In Makkah the economic conditions of the Muslims were bad. They were being persecuted. Often days would go by before they had anything to eat. It is easy to skip meals if you don?t have any. Obviously fasting would have been easier under the circumstances. So why not then? The answer may be that Ramadan is not only about skipping meals. While fasting is an integral and paramount part of it, Ramadan offers a comprehensive program for our spiritual overhaul. The entire program required the peace and security that was offered by Madinah.

L.F.S BURNHAM

Perhaps I will be forgiven for reminding even this gathering that the Caribbean can no longer, like the proverbial ostrich, hide its head in our beautiful sandy beaches and ignore the trends and impelling forces of change in the world economic order. Either we weld ourselves into a regional grouping serving primarily Caribbean needs, or lacking a common positive policy, have our various territories and nations drawn hither and thither into, and by, other large groupings where the peculiar problems of’ the Caribbean are lost and where we become the objects of neo-colonialist exploitation, and achieve the pitiable status of international mendicants. Hunger and poverty are not relieved by philosophical pratings, or academic outpourings.
No one can deny the need for action. It is that need which is itself the rationale and raison d’etre of this conference. Today, we are where we were yesterday; precisely through our inability to concert and our incapacity to yield the form for the substance; precisely because we have failed to match words with action.

By Freddie Kissoon

As we fast approach the 2011 national elections, people in and out of the territory are going to see the true colours of many Guyanese who will surprise us. Some wear their traditional tags all the time so we should not be surprised. The first name on the list is Rickey Singh. Two years ago, he described in his Chronicle column, Mr. Jagdeo’s style of governance as that of the maximum leader. Severely tongue-lashed by – you know who- for that remark, Mr. Singh hibernated from political assessments and devoted his Chronicle topics to regional affairs.