Johann Earle

-defiant Timehri North residents ahead of meeting on relocation ‘They tell us that they would give us title to this land and now they want us to move out’ – Rita Sam, 62, who said she has been living in Timehri North ‘since Burnham time.’

Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman said that despite the sometimes acrimonious debates and seeming infrequency of sittings, the 10th Parliament has achieved significantly in its eight months of operation to the credit of all stakeholders.

– urges gov’t, opposition talks The private sector is concerned that time is running out on the government and opposition reaching agreement on next year’s budget to avoid another collision.

-Economic Committee still to be set up as deadline passes While the Technical Committee reviewing electricity rates in Linden has been making progress with five meetings held so far, the Economic Committee is at a standstill as the government and the Region Ten administration cannot agree on who should be its chairperson.

-says former Norway environment minister Solheim Former Minister of the Environment and International Development of Norway, Erik Solheim says that Guyana must justify the need for the funding of new projects in order to trigger the release of additional tranches of funds under the Norway-Guyana agreement and the money already disbursed must be spent before more could be released.

By Johann Earle in Jeju, South Korea The motion proposed by WWF France calling for a moratorium on oil drilling along the Guianas offshore region was adopted after votes came in overwhelmingly in its favour as the curtains start to come down on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Jeju, South Korea.

By Johann Earle In Jeju, South Korea WWF France has sponsored a motion at the World Conservation Congress 2012 in Jeju, South Korea calling for a moratorium on oil drilling off the coast of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana citing the potential for disaster and for them to strengthen energy conservation policy and support for renewable energy resources.

By Johann Earle in South Korea In the backdrop of rich Korean tradition and culture on display in Jeju Island, South Korea, the World Conservation Congress 2012 officially opened yesterday with a warning that a new ethic was needed for more sustainable development.

Days after being reprimanded and discharged over using abusive language and damage to property, a woman re-appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton on a charge that she assaulted a police officer.

-$$ for NCN, GINA rejected again The National Assembly in the wee hours of today approved Financial Papers 1 and 2/2012 with the Opposition rejecting a number of items and the few that saw approval were subject to rigorous scrutiny, like the sum of $5.3 billion for a new Guyana Power and Light Wartsila power plant.

The National Assembly last night carried a motion to have a committee of the Parliament examine the current arrangements for former Presidents’ pension, other facilities and benefits and the Opposition will bring a bill to significantly amend legislation passed in 2009 and which created a public outcry in the months leading up to the 2011 general elections.

Photos by Anjuli Persaud A stirring funeral service and viewing took place at the Square of the Revolution yesterday for Shemroy Bouyea, Allan Lewis and Ron Somerset – the three shooting victims of the Linden electricity uprising as about 2,000 persons paid their respects and called for justice.

By Johann Earle and Oluatoyin Alleyne The opposition this morning used its majority to adopt a motion expressing no-confidence in and calling for the removal of Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, rejecting a slew of amendments aimed at reducing its impact.

Contending that Guyana is experiencing a new political situation for which there are no blueprints, outgoing leader of the PNCR Robert Corbin yesterday stressed the need for strengthening the party if it is to foster change in governance and ultimately change in government.

The Public Utilities Commis-sion (PUC) yesterday ordered Digicel to immediately withdraw all advertising of new rates even as the company declared that it is willing and ready to fight any legal action its competitor, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) mounts, and will aggressively defend its legal right to provide low cost international calls.

Presidential Adviser on Governance Gail Teixeira yesterday said that the government is ready with its list of nominees for the Public Procurement Commission and accused the opposition of holding up the selection process.

Financial front man of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Carl Greenidge says the combined opposition’s vote against Financial Paper 9/2011 on Thursday was as a result of government’s contempt for the National Assembly in returning it to the House without a single amendment.

Former President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday lashed out at the opposition for cutting the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) funds from the budget and said it will hold the country back and retard growth.

The combined Opposition yesterday again voted against $79.6 million in four items of supplementary expenditure in Financial Paper 9/2011 and in reacting to this, Minister of Finance Dr.

Two members of the United States armed services are relieved that they can now be themselves in the wake of the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) by the Obama administration, after having lived a lie for years while serving in active duty.