Local Government elections
Jagdeo claims massive victory in LGEs: While it won a big majority of the NDCs and seven of 10 municipalities, the ruling PPP/C was easily defeated in Georgetown and Linden where it had invested much in a high-profile campaign and attracted well- known crossovers from the main opposition APNU in a bid for a historic shift. Both People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo and President Irfaan Ali had made it no secret that they were pulling out all of the stops for a first-time win in Georgetown but it was not to be. APNU clinched 19 seats – for a comfortable majority – and the PPP/C gathered 11 seats. While A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) ran what was perceived to be an uninspiring lacklustre campaign, the coalition was still able to expand its number of votes in Linden and in Georgetown. Based on official results released by the Guyana Elections Commission last night, key crossovers to the PPP/C lost to APNU candidates in Georgetown and New Amsterdam – signalling that the base of the opposition party was standing firm. Though GECOM has not posted official results for all of the Neighbour-hood Democratic Councils (NDCs), Jagdeo told a press conference yesterday that his party had won 66 out of 80 compared to 57 in 2018, meaning that APNU wins fell from 23 to 14. APNU did not contest in some NDC areas. The PPP/C won in the Mabaruma, Anna Regina, Rose Hall, Corriverton and Lethem municipalities while APNU took George-town, Linden and New Amsterdam and there were ties in the number of councillors at Bartica and Mahdia. Jagdeo declared that his party has made significant inroads in opposition areas. “Almost every part of this country, we have seen either an overwhelming victory for the party or massive gains in places where we traditionally were not strong and so it was only because of those who supported this party that victory was possible,” Jagdeo yesterday said during the press conference at Freedom House, the party’s headquarters and command centre. In Georgetown, one of the heavily contested and watched municipalities, Jagdeo said that they would had achieved satisfactory gains not only in South Georgetown, where they in the past received low number of votes. According to Jagdeo they have made significant progress by winning five of the constituencies and increasing their votes by almost 6000 from 2018. In 2018, the PPP/C recorded 7,050 votes compared to approximately 12,553 votes secured in this election. He explained that while they would have won constituencies 1,2,3, 4 and 7, the party had earlier in the day requested a recount in constituency Six, (Cummings Lodge North, Central & South, Pattensen /Turkeyen South) where a few votes gave APNU the lead. Jagdeo noted too that this particular constituency would have recorded approximately 150 rejected ballots.
Investment
EU in $1b mangroves boost: A European Union (EU) agreement with Guyana for the advancement and expansion of mangroves will see the country receiving budgetary support to the tune of €4.6 million ($1.049b) for strengthening sea defences along the vulnerable coastline. At the event, President Irfaan Ali last Wednesday noted that 100 kilometres of earthen embankment lacks sufficient protection from the ferocious sea. The agreement was inked by Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh at State House in the presence of President Ali and other dignitaries. Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans (fourth from left) was joined by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat and the EU’s Ambassador to Guyana René van Nes (third from left) for a guided tour and presentations at the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development. Senior government officials shared presentations which focused on Guyana’s forest monitoring system and the protected areas of Guyana. Timmermans’ visit to Guyana was aimed at discussions on climate policy, carbon credits, forest management and biodiversity protection with government and civil society representatives. The programme will support the strengthening of coastal sea defences through the planting, monitoring and rehabilitation of existing and new mangrove farms. Over the next two years, Guyana will receive financial aid to maximise the potential of its mangrove ecosystem as a natural sea and river defence mechanism, enhance livelihood opportunities of mangroves communities, and explore the potential of mangroves as payments for ecosystem services through studies and assessments. President Ali in brief remarks noted that the programme will be rolled out under the guidance of the National Agricultural Research and Education Institute (NAREI) with support from the Sea and River Defence Board and the Minister of Public Works. “The project will also involve monitoring of mangroves, seedling planting and the rehabilitation of existing forest which is important because in the replanting of mangroves we will need an aggressive nursery and all of this is integrated into this project,” he explained.
Mining
COI into Bosai dump death finds company, local oversight agencies culpable: The Commission of Inquiry into the on-the-job death of BOSAI Minerals Group Guyana Inc (BMGG) employee Neptrid Hercules found culpability not only on the part of the company, but also the Ministry of Labour and respective oversight agencies, as had they been vigilant in their duties and enforced laws of the country, the fatal incident would have never occurred. The report included a long list of recommendations with timelines for implementation to prevent another occurrence, but it is unclear what has been done nearly three months after by those identified in the Ministry of Labour, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The Ministry of Labour had issued a release with some of the recommendations in the report, but there was no word on the overall report findings nor was it stated that a timeframe was advised for the implementation of the recommendations. The report presented the results of an investigation undertaken, consequent to an earth structure failure on March 11th 2023, of an area being reclaimed by Bosai where Hercules was entombed along with a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer. He had been operating the machine at the time and the report underscored that had certain requisite risk assessments been taken prior, the accident could have been avoided. “The primary cause… was BMGG’s failure to conduct a risk assessment of the reclamation dump construction methodology. The risk assessment would have identified the possibility of liquefaction simply based on the stratigraphy of the dump and the consequences associated with a highly impermeable layer underlying a loose granular soil with no ability to dissipate ground and surface water inflows into the granular layer. Another contributory factor is BMGG’s failure to address geotechnical engineering/ groundwater hydrology issues in its operations,” the report seen by the Stabroek News stated. It explained that elementary geotechnical knowledge would recognize that clay would lose strength in undrained load conditions when loaded, but this was never considered by BMGG. “Reclamation dump operations never integrated any soil strength data into the design, therefore the likelihood of soil strength loss was never considered. BMGG had no monitoring instrumentation in place at the reclamation dump. The development of elevated pore water pressures, warning of the possibility of liquefaction, could have been determined if low technology stand-pipe piezometers were installed in the area. … several minor failures [had] occurred at the reclamation dump previously,” the report highlighted.
Education
Cabinets with papers for nine CXC subjects stolen in Jamaica: A day after the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) said that it employs multiple security measures to safeguard the integrity of its examinations, it last Wednesday reported a major breach in Jamaica where fireproof cabinets with exam papers were stolen. Following this the Ministry of Education here urged all students writing the CSEC exams to continue preparing and that they will be informed of all updates in the matter. CXC in a statement yesterday said that it was informed that fireproof cabinets containing examination papers for nine subjects scheduled to be administered this week, were stolen from a school in Jamaica. “This is of grave concern to CXC and the matter is being investigated by the Ministry of National Security and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). CXC is in constant contact with the Ministry of Education and Youth in Jamaica and an update was shared with the Ministries of Education from across the region at a meeting earlier (yesterday)”, CXC said in a statement. CXC said it is determining the course of action and will communicate with the Ministries of Education. Further information will be shared as it becomes available, it said. In a statement on Tuesday in response to an editorial in the June 6 edition of Stabroek News entitled `CXC examination paper leaks’, the Barbados-based CXC said while technological advancement has been integrated into these processes, “human intervention is still required and therefore misconduct cannot always be prevented”. Incidents such as leaks are of serious concern to CXC as it recognises the negative impact this can have on the mental wellbeing of the candidates and the integrity of our qualifications.
Oil & Gas
ExxonMobil and partners lodge required US$2b deposit with EPA: Oil company ExxonMobil and its partners have lodged the required US$2 billion security deposit with the Environmental Protection Agency, as ordered by Guyana’s Appeal Court. Appeal Court Judge, Justice Rishi Persaud, had ordered the insurance guarantee to be in place to allay any anxiety among those who are of the belief that there could be an environmental catastrophe of some sort. Exxon Guyana’s Vice President and Business Services Manager, Phillip Rietema, during a press engagement yesterday confirmed the insurance guarantee was lodged as ordered by the court. “Yes, the Affiliate guarantee. Yeah, it was signed, last Friday (June 9th) …the stay of the order was on Thursday last week and it also required us to, lodge the, the $2 billion guarantee amongst the three COVs, (co-venturers) and we were with the EPA on Friday, and, and they, they signed that and it’s been lodged,” Rietema said. During last Thursday’s hearing, ExxonMobil was granted a stay of execution of an order by the High Court that it provide an “unlimited” financial guarantee for its Liza-1 well. Justice Persaud, in his ruling, had declared that in the interest of justice, the EPA will be granted a stay of execution of the order of the lower court which had declared that the permit issued to Exxon’s local affiliate—Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—would be suspended by June 10th. The stay of execution is to last until the full hearing and determination of the appeal. The parties now await a date for the hearing of the appeal before the Full Bench of the Guyana Court of Appeal.
Major fund managers eying oil $$: The government on June 7th met with a delegation of major US and Global Fund managers and discussed among other issues, the potential investment power of this country’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) but said that it would not be ready until sometime between 2028 and 2030. “We discussed the future growth of our markets for the management of the funds in the oil and gas sector but this is not for now; it’s [for] the coming years. Right now we are not receiving a lot of money. The Fund is not a big Fund. By 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, that is when large sums will accumulate in the fund,” Jagdeo on Thursday told a press conference he hosted. “So we need to strengthen the capability of the Board of Directors and the management system there; the ones under the NRF. So it was a broad ranging discussion about Guyana and greater financial sophistication in the future, which is necessary if we are going to grow,” he added. The Bank of Guyana says that the NRF’s closing balance at the end of May this year was US$1,566,262,190.03. Of this amount, US$257m was available as of January 1st this year for investment for future generations. It is this segment of the fund that the fund managers will be keen on. The NRF Board has determined that the monies in the Fund will go towards “very safe investments” in the form of nightly deposits at the account of the US Federal Reserve Bank in New York. On his Facebook Page on Wednesday, the Vice President noted that he had held a “Meeting with a team of investors from several of the major US and Global Fund managers group today”. “The visitors represented the Bank of America, Hess Corp, Capital Group, MFS Investment Management, Aristotle and Black Rock among other corporations,” he informed.Jagdeo made it clear that the group came on their own because of the nature of their work and that they wanted to see firsthand what the financial climate here was like.
In the courts
Man remanded over GDF officer’s murder: One of the men who was accused of robbing and murdering Guyana Defence Force Lieutenant (Coast Guard), Rondel Douglas, was remanded to prison when he made his appearance before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on June 15th at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. It is alleged that Joshua Parris, 25, called ‘Stewie’ of Lot 854 Section “C” Block “Y” Sophia, on 7th June, 2023, at Cul-de-Sac Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown murdered GDF Captain, Douglas. He was not required to enter a plea to the capital offence of murder and was remanded to prison until his next court date. A bulletin had been issued for him by the police. A bulletin was also issued for another man, Jamie Ghanie. Enquiries revealed that Douglas, a licensed firearm holder, used his motorcar, a Toyota Fielder bearing registration number PZZ 703, as a part-time taxi with the Taxi Service. The owner of the taxi service told police that an identifiable male went to the taxi base and hired the victim to transport him. According to a police report, a resident of Cul-de-Sac Street, North Ruimveldt, said he heard a loud explosion that sounded like a gunshot. He then looked out of his window to check and saw a Toyota Fielder motorcar speeding out of the area. The victim was lying on the ground in a pool of blood with two visible wounds to his chest and head.
Soldier charged with murdering colleague at Camp Stephenson: Twenty-five-year-old Brian Morrison, a soldier of Lot 841 Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara on June 16th charged with murdering Tevon Daymon at the Guyana Defence Force’s Camp Stephenson, Timehri on Monday, June 12. The police say that Morrison appeared at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court #1 before Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce where the charge was read to him. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge. He was remanded to prison and the matter was adjourned to the 31st July, 2023 for disclosure of statements. The police had said that enquiries revealed that the victim and the suspect became involved in an argument and the victim allegedly removed the magazine from the rifle he was carrying and hit the suspect in his head, causing him to suffer injuries. The suspect who was armed with an AK-47 rifle and 30 matching rounds then discharged 27 rounds from his rifle in the victim’s direction causing the victim to suffer injuries and fall to the ground. On the day of the shooting, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) expressed condolences to the family of Private Daymon over his death in what it said s an “unfortunate shooting incident” at approximately 4.51 am at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri. A GDF release said that preliminary investigations revealed that Private Daymon was shot by another rank while the two were performing security duties. “This appears to be an isolated incident and does not reflect the overall discipline and professionalism of our ranks”, the statement said. A Board of Inquiry will be convened to probe the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting of Private Daymon, the GDF said.
Karasabai hostel fire suspects charged: Four teenaged boys who were accused of setting fire to the St. Angela’s girls’ hostel at Karasabai Village, Region 9, have been charged and remanded to the Juvenile Holding Centre. All four appeared at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court on June 13th before Magistrate Allan Wilson where the indictable charge was read to them and to which they were not required to plead. An order was issued for the suspects’ evaluation. A competent court doctor is to be appointed hence the case was postponed to July 13th at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court for report. The St. Angela’s Hostel was set ablaze in the early hours of June 1st. At the time of the fire, 17 girls were in the building but all escaped unharmed. The hostel, built to accommodate 60 persons, is managed by the Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church and was opened last August to accommodate female students from the far-flung areas.
Woman awarded $2.25m for unlawful arrest, detention by police – attorney: Rehanna Reginald, a resident of East Canje, Berbice who was unlawfully arrested by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on November 7, 2020 and kept in custody until November 11, 2020 was on Wednesday awarded the sum of $2,250,000 by the Chief Justice for breaches of her Constitutional rights. This is according to a release yesterday from Dexter Todd & Associates. Reginald was detained in both the New Amsterdam Police Station and the Sisters Police Station where she was subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment. She was also deprived of her right to speak with her family and her attorneys-at-law. Reginald had sued the state through her attorneys, Dexter Todd and Dexter Smartt, from Dexter Todd and Associates Law Firm, seeking a declaration that her fundamental rights guaranteed under articles 139(1) and 141 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana 1980 were violated by the State and its agents by imposing cruel and inhuman treatment, false imprisonment and wrongful deprivation of liberty on 7th to 11th November, 2020. She also sought compensation from the State for those breaches of her rights. The press release said that in the Chief Justice’s ruling on damages, Reginald was awarded the sum of $1.6m for the breach of her fundamental rights guaranteed under articles 139(1) and 141 of the Constitution as it relates to cruel and inhumane treatment, false imprisonment and wrongful deprivation of liberty. The release said the court also awarded $50,000 for the breach of Reginald’s rights under article 149 of the Constitution of Guyana which guarantees protection from discrimination. The Chief Justice further awarded an additional sum of $350,000 as vindicatory damages since the police had no reason to arrest Reginald. Finally, she awarded Reginald $250,000 in costs.
