Calls For Government Of National Unity In Guyana, Constitutional Reforms To Prohibit Abuse Of power And Guarantee Minority Rights

Submitted by Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy

President-elect Donald Ramotar

The New York based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) is calling for a government of national unity in Guyana and has said the declaration of the preliminary results of the November 28, 2011 general elections will abate angst in the population, which was precipitated by an inordinate three-day delay in announcing the results.  The institute has labeled the Chairman of the Elections Commission and the Chief Election Officer “disgracefully incompetent.”

Yesterday Guyana’s Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodoo declared that the major opposition APNU garnered 139,678 votes or 40.8% of the vote – 26 seats in parliament;  AFC 35,333, 10.3 % of the vote – 7 seats in Parliament and the incumbent PPP -166,340, 48.6 % of the vote  – 32 seats. TUF got 855 votes and no seat in Parliament.

The ruling PPP won the Presidency based on the plurality of the vote – 48.6% but lost its parliamentary majority after losing 4 seats in the election. It faces a historic and bleak situation of a minority government, returning with only 32 seats, while the opposition APNU and AFC have 33 seats combined.

The Cotton Silk Tree At Warrens Must Go

Local environmental activist Agyeman Kofi wants a sculpture using the trunk of the Cotton Silk tree to be integrated in the Warren design and the area named Centennial Pass (see illustration)

Earlier this year BU posted the blog Protecting Our History, Save The Silk Cotton And Boabab Trees. The days of the Silk Cotton Tree are numbered because of the Warrens development in progress. Abdul Pandor, the engineer responsible for the project was adamant the tree has to be cut down at the onsite meeting staged in March of this year. The few Barbadians who attended to protest the decision to cut down the tree received assurances from government officials that an alternative would be found.

An update on this matter is that a final decision has been taken to cut the tree down. It appears the cost to acquire the land necessary to circumvent the area of the Silk Cotton Tree is estimated at 1.4 million dollars. The fact that a tree which has achieved 25 feet girth of Bajan history does not provoke enough consideration to salvage it.

How it is we have ended up in such a bad place where we would design a road works program which dismisses any recognition of our heritage? How can we cut down a tree which has been part of our landscape and history for decades? What message does it send to our young people who are struggling with the need to be aware and friendly of the environment?

Delayed 2011 Guyana Election Results

Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary Guyana Trades Union Congress

GTUC calls on GECOM and Dr. Steve Surujbally to hasten the release of the total results for the 2011 elections concluded more than 36 hours ago. The delayed release mars any perception that the poll could be considered successfully conducted, since the process of elections is not concluded until the results are finalized and published. The current delay already gives rise to the perception that there is compromise in the integrity of the count which is a significant part of the process. This is highly unacceptable and places the integrity of the ballot into serious question at this time. Electors must be given all assurances that the end results will be valid. It is important that they maintain calm and peace even as they maintain vigilance.

In a country with 475 000 registered voters, this delay is incongruous and cause for the rising tension that is permeating the post election atmosphere. The successful turnout that has been referred to by observers as “record high” is a sign that the Guyanese people in 2011 have given prominence to their right to vote. They should not be denied timely results of their efforts nor should there be any appearance that the pending results are anything less than credible, transparent and a reflection of their will. Results of approximately 35% of the total votes cast after more than 36 hours close of poll is not sufficient to make an assumption of the end results and may only give rise to skewed results that will create undue concern among the already pensive electorate.

Proud To Be Bajan – Happy Independence Day Barbados

What You See Is Not Always What You Get

Submitted by Charles Knighton

Gerald "Jerry" Sandusky (l) Michael Jackson (c) Herman Cain (r)

It can’t be. Not him. Whenever a prominent pillar of the community is accused of some form of sexual misconduct, friends and admirers insist that the charges don’t square with the really fine person they know. That’s what Michael Jackson’s adoring fans said when several of the boys he took to his bed came forward to say that, yes, he had been molesting them. That’s what former players and colleagues said when a former Penn State assistant football  coach was charged with sexually abusing eight underprivileged boys he’d been so kindly mentoring. That’s what fans of Herman Cain said when the presidential candidate —a likable Baptist minister—was accused of sexually harassing a series of women. An accusation is not proof of guilt, but I am constantly amazed at the willful  naiveté of these defenders. How can anyone over the age of about fifteen think that a “nice” person couldn’t possibly be a sexual predator?

CARIBBEAN STOCK REPORT 21 November to 25 November 2011

Compiled by the Department of Management Studies, UWI Cave Hill - Click image to read in PDF

The Government And Opposition Party In Cahoots To Keep Transparency Legislation Off The Statute Book

Owen Arthur, Leader of the opposition (l) Fruendel Stuart, Prime Minister (r)

The month of November seems appropriate to blog about transparency in government. Thirty plus years ago the Tom Adams led Barbados Labour Party (BLP) attempt to proclaim Integrity Legislation was still born. The incumbent Democratic Labour Party (DLP) government – led by the late Prime Minister David Thompson – promised Barbadians within 100 days of being elected Integrity and Freedom of Information Legislation would have been a priority. One wonders how MP Mara Thompson feels when she reflects on the promise made by her late husband to Barbadians.

In fairness to the DLP, a lukewarm attempt was made to read the anti-Corruption Bill but both political parties have cried foul. The bill when last we checked was languishing in a sub committee of parliament. BU is not sure what is the status of the proposed Freedom of Information bill.

That both parties would conspire to mamaguy Barbadians about their intention to introduce transparency legislation is instructive. The fact we are still to mature as a nation by crafting a governance system which holds politicians accountable, contradicts the billions we have invested in education post-Independence. Introducing transparency legislation does not call for any significant demand on the treasury of Barbados. What possibly could be the reason successive governments have delayed enacting Integrity and Freedom of Information legislation?

The Busan High Level Forum On Aid Effectiveness

MEDIA RELEASE

World governments have failed to make aid work: civil society recommends 3 ways to fix it

The day before the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, as the outcome document of the event is in the final stage of negotiations, civil society groups gathered in Busan, representing more than 20,000 civil society organisations (CSOs) – including trade unions, women’s groups, faith-based organisations –call on governments in a joint statement to compensate for missed commitments by making newer and better promises to make development aid work for the people.

In the “Paris Declaration” of 2005, governments agreed to a set of measurements to manage and improve aid effectiveness. Those commitments have largely failed. OECD and CSO evidence suggest that at best only two of the 21 Paris Declaration targets have been achieved since 2005. Major issues that must be tackled include tied aid, transparency, accountability and conditionality.

Rising Crime + Tourism = Bad News

62 year old Diane Davies the day after her alleged attack

When one of the leading daily newspapers in the UK run a story penned by a leading journalist, it translates to ‘widely read’. When the story is about a 62 year old who claims she was raped in Barbados while on vacation, it translates into bad news for Barbados. Right at the start of the main tourist season to boot, this does us absolutely no favours at all if the allegations are correct; if true Barbados is seriously at fault.

Barbadians are left to wonder this morning what the hell is going on? Why are we playing boo peep with our number one foreign exchange earner? Why have the authorities i.e. Attorney General, Barbados Police Force and by extension the government not given this matter the attention it merits? Why do we allow bureaucracy and officialdom  perhaps pride to ferment this matter?

BU has blogged too many times about the need to revamp our court system to ensure justice is seen to be done and also for the Police Complaints Authority to do its damn job. How can we be serious about tourism and continue to retreat behind statistics. Barbadians on the ground know that serious crime is trending upwards and to be honest the business as usual approach by the authorities is not cutting it.

Pending Apocalypse Maybe!

The increasing aggressive rhetoric emanating from Moscow has raised the the temperature in the Middle East. Many are wondering if we are about to witness  the beginning of World War III, and the Apocolyptic scenario, as described in the Bible. The following is reproduced From Jerusalem Connection Report blog

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

After deploying three warships in Syrian waters, Moscow continues to beat war drums against the United States followed closely by Tehran. Wednesday, Nov. 23, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told state television: “I have ordered the armed forces to develop measures to ensure if necessary that we can destroy the command and control systems” of the planned US missile-defense system in Europe. These measures are appropriate, effective and low-cost.”

Iranian Supreme Leader’s top advisor for military affairs Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi came next. He said: “The Iranian Revolutionary Guards controls the identity and destination of every US warship which intends to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”