Guyana News

A suspect has confessed to murdering Rose Hall grocer Lomenzo Johnny and has implicated four other persons, three of whom have already been arrested, while police are on the hunt for the other. 

Several businesses were looted, while travellers were attacked on Friday night as unrest in West Berbice amidst continuing protests over results from last Monday’s elections. 

The suspect in the murder of gold miner Roland Kanhai, who was believed to have been fatally beaten in a robbery last week, has been arrested and police say he has since confessed to the crime.

The Bar Council of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) yesterday voiced its “deep concern” at the prospect of any swearing in of a president on the basis of the purported declared results for Region Four and joined international observer missions in calling for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to comply with the legal requirements to ensure transparency and credibility of the polling.

The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has condemned all acts of violence and racist behaviour at the current time, including attacks directed against Indigenous Peoples in wake of the release of some results from Monday’s general and regional elections.

Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG), which fielded a local electoral observer group for last Monday’s elections, has added its voice to those calling for calm as the country awaits an official declaration of the winner of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate Irfaan Ali yesterday once again appealed to his party’s supporters for calm, while saying that opposition has activated legal recourses to ensure that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) adheres to the law in the tabulation of votes for Region Four at last Monday’s elections.

Following days of tension and uncertainty over the results of Monday’s general and regional elections, there was some return to normalcy for a number businesses in the city and its outskirts yesterday, although several remained closed.

Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire will on Sunday afternoon rule on whether the High Court has the jurisdiction to hear an application seeking to have the tabulation of votes in Region Four at Monday’s general elections done according to the law prior to the declaration of a final result.

CARICOM Chair, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley today called on electoral officials here and other stakeholders to ensure the transparent conclusion of the tabulation of votes at Monday’s elections by using Statements of poll. 

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire hears an injunction against GECOM. Justice Navindra Singh on Thursday granted an injunction in the matter against the Guyana Elections Commission, Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and Returning Officer for Region Four Clairmont Mingo.

The Guyana Police Force today said Sewdat Hansraj, the Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice youth who was fatally shot last night, had been attacking ranks with a cutlass.

Homeline Furnishing and Digicel located in Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, were looted last night, while a number of persons were attacked amidst ongoing political protests in the region.

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire will this morning preside over an emergency hearing on an application seeking to have the tabulation of votes in Region Four at Monday’s general elections done according to the law prior to the declaration of a final result.

A Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice youth was fatally shot last night as violent protests that gripped the area earlier in the day continued and another teenager was also critically injured but was unable to be transported to the hospital in Georgetown for further medical care due to the roads being blocked by protesters.

Scenes of violence unfolded and a bus transporting schoolchildren was attacked, police were stoned and chased, motorists were harassed and roads were blocked and set afire as rioters, protesting what they claimed were “rigged” elections, rampaged at several locations in Berbice yesterday.

Protests at Lusignan and Mon Repos on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) erupted into violence and three persons were injured after being shot by pellets fired by the police as hundreds of persons gathered to demonstrate against what they claimed was the “rigging” of Monday’s elections. 

Voicing their concern over “credible allegations of electoral fraud” that they say could influence the results of Monday’s general and regional elections, the heads of the western missions in Guyana yesterday urged President David Granger against a potentially unconstitutional transition of government.

The United States Department of State yesterday warned against any declaration of victory or swearing in as a result of Monday’s polls while questions remain about the credibility of the process.

The APNU+AFC coalition yesterday called on citizens to remain calm and not engage in any act to disrupt national life or cause any strife or inconvenience even as it noted that the final declaration of results of Monday’s general election by the Guyana Elections Commission is still being awaited.