Politics

By Ivan Cairo PARAMARIBO, Suriname; In the high-profile trial against Suriname’s former army leader Desi Bouterse, his lawyer on Monday made a stirring appeal for his client to be freed of the murder charges. Bouterse, main suspect of the so-called December Murders, is on trial for murder and co-perpetration of  the murder of 15 critics of his then regime on ...

Local Government Minister, Ronald Bulkan on Monday rejected accusations by Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green that he was meddling in Council’s affairs and instructing Council, through her, to adopt a new decision-making procedure in violation of the municipal laws. “We can’t be fossilised with any legislation. We are in a new era now. We are in a new democratic environment and ...

Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green on Sunday lashed out at Local Government Minister, Ronald Bulkan, accusing him of interfering in the Council’s work without understanding the law. “The Minister cannot sit in Kingston and direct what happens. He is taking over where the old administration left off,” she told reporters after a meeting in Alexander Village, Georgetown. The Mayor said the ...

A Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the extra-judicial killing of more than 1,000 persons during a six-year period will be named this week, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said just days after top opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) officials said they were ready for the wide-ranging probe. Harmon told Demerara Waves Online News that the Commission would be named “before ...

General Secretary of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo on Saturday publicly rejected positive statements by the President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand about talks with President David Granger. While Jagdeo insisted that the PPP “has no rift” with GAWU, he appeared to send a strong signal that he would not mind ...

President David Granger on Thursday announced that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will undergo a significant restructuring programme in the coming days to allow for a greater level of efficiency in the execution of its mandate and to ensure maximum development within the Force. Granger, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, made the announcement  at the opening ceremony ...

Central government has blocked the Georgetown City Council from using open spaces in the City for business or housing purposes, in the wake of a High Court ruling that outlaws such activities. Minister responsible for Local Government, Ronald Bulkan said the David Granger-led administration expects that local government councils should instead “maintain and improve such areas for the benefit of all ...

More representatives of the political opposition and civil society are likely to be included in the Petroleum Commission’s Board and ministerial powers reduced, based on local and international advice, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman said Thursday. Following inputs from the Commonwealth, International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Trotman said the recommendations for the amendment of the ...

Urging sacked sugar workers to get registered in the right districts to vote for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at the 2020 general election, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo accused the David Granger-led administration of sending them home because of racial and political reasons. In a swift response on Wednesday, the Ministry of the Presidency slammed Jagdeo, saying that his  remarks ...

Central government would go ahead and implement projects and programmes in People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC)-controlled regional and town councils if their top elected officials continue to boycott the annual local government conferences, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said. The PPP-aligned Regional Chairmen of Regions Eight and Nine defended their participation in the conference, but Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said ...