Daily Archive: Saturday, May 16, 2015

Cameras dominated the forecourt of Parliament Building for today’s swearing in of President David Granger.

The large crowd outside of Parliament this afternoon for the swearing in of APNU+AFC’s presidential candidate, David Granger.

Address by Brigadier David Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, at the Swearing-in Ceremony, Georgetown, on 16th May 2015.

Having not uttered a word over the unwillingness of the PPP/C to concede Monday’s elections, Caricom Chairman, Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie today congratulated David Granger on his election to the presidency.

New Head of State, David A Granger waves to supporters following his swearing- in as President of Guyana this afternoon at Parliament Building.

Newly sworn-in President David A Granger greeting people gathered at Parliament Building compound this afternoon.

President David A Granger affixes his signature to the document at Parliament affirming his swearing in.

The U.S. embassy today congratulated new President David Granger and also expressed appreciation to former President Donald Ramotar.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter issued the following statement today: “I would like to congratulate President David Granger and the APNU/AFC coalition on their success in the 2015 election.

Former President Donald Ramotar in a speech to the nation has asked supporters to remain calm even as he continues to assert that his party had won the heated 2015 general election.

David Granger was sworn in as President of Guyana on the balcony of Parliament Building at 2.19 pm today in the presence of a large, jubilant crowd.

APNU+AFC presidential candidate David Granger was declared president-elect at 1.30 pm today by Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Dr Steve Surujbally at its Kingston headquarters.

The Guyana Elections Commission today declared APNU+AFC the winner of the 2015 general elections and it will have 33 seats in Parliament while the PPP/C will have 32.

The Guyana Elections Commission has confirmed that it will declare final results of the close 2015 general elections at midday at its Kingston headquarters followed by the swearing in of President-elect David Granger at Parliament Building.

Swami Aksharananda has changed his view on the credibility of the election process and has urged Gecom to allow the counting the 22 ballot boxes requested by President Ramotar.

(Barbados Nation) Statistics derived from the Continuous Household Labour Force Survey indicated that the rate of unemployment for 2014 stood at 12.3 per cent.

Five days after hundreds of thousands voted in general elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) is expected to this afternoon to sanctify the official results, allowing for the swearing in of David Granger as the new President.

President Donald Ramotar last night declared that he was not conceding Monday’s elections even though the Elections Commission Chairman said 21 Statements of Poll (SoPs) cited by the PPP/C as defective showed no errors when they were checked.

In the face of the continuing refusal by President Donald Ramotar to concede defeat, the heads of the United States, British and Canadian diplomatic missions in Guyana yesterday reiterated their confidence in the vote count from Monday’s general and regional elections.

United States-based Guyanese Ramesh Puran, who returned to mark his father’s one- year death anniversary, was fatally shot during a home invasion at Belvedere, Corentyne on Thursday night.

Members of civil society yesterday intensified calls for President Donald Ramotar and the PPP/C to concede defeat at Monday’s polls, which they maintained were free and fair.

Some of the smaller parties that contested the general and regional elections have expressed dissatisfaction with the tally of the votes released by the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom).

The Returning Officer (RO) for Region Eight Dwayne Marco has denied a request by PPP/C for a recount of votes in that electoral district, while saying he has full confidence in the polling day staff and the heavy scrutiny of the tabulation process.

Though the official declaration of results of Guyana’s general and regional election is likely to be today, thousands of Berbicians continued celebrating yesterday after receiving the preliminary results.

The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) yesterday welcomed the election of APNU+AFC candidate David Granger as the new president, while saying it expects that his administration would govern with the welfare of all Guyanese in its consideration.

The Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC) has described its voters’ education campaign for the May 11th general elections as one that was well received by Guyanese.

The tense political climate has not only affected schools and businesses, it has also impacted the hosting of sporting activities.

The condition of seven-year-old Colleacia Harcourt, who has a malignant brain tumour, has worsened to partial paralysis even as her parents appeal again to the public to raise funds for an emergency operation to save her life.

Continuous inclement weather has left the Wales and Enmore ground waterlogged, thus forcing today’s start of the 2015 Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-County Senior 4-Day tournament to be put on hold until further notice.

After a wait of two hours and 40 minutes, the Hyderabad crowd got the apt reward for their patience in form of a power-packed albeit a very short game of explosive cricket.

Chairman of the Joint Services Brigadier Mark Phillips yesterday urged all Guyanese to remain calm and continue to exercise restraint and good judgement as they await the final declaration of elections results.

Over four years after construction began, the $3.6 billion Hope Canal, one of the PPP/C’s administration big-ticket projects, is still to be opened.

DOHA, (Reuters) – Justin Gatlin blasted out a warning that he is ready to challenge Usain Bolt’s 100 metres hegemony when he stormed to a lifetime best 9.74 seconds to win the event in the opening Diamond League meeting of the season yesterday.

Dear Editor, Almost 24 hours have elapsed since Gecom declared the preliminary results of the 2015 elections, giving a slim victory to the coalition.

Retired Superintendent of Police Morgan Chalmers yesterday testified that he was unable to conduct an identification (ID) parade with Terrence Wallace, the accused in the murder of teenager Shaquille Grant, since the former policeman was advised against participation by his lawyer.

Dear Editor, The wind of change is blowing through the democracies.

Dear Editor, The elections are over and the leadership of the losing PPP is proving to be a sore loser, bent on maintaining power in its hands, no matter what.

Ralph Ramdhan, the suspect in a double murder in Trinidad, was yesterday ordered deported after being fined for entering the country illegally.

After being sentenced to four years in prison for stealing almost $600,000 by forging cheques intended for her employer, confessed fraudster Jasodhra Bahadur on Thursday also admitted to 26 charges of simple larceny of sums that amounted to over $11M.

Dear Editor, Through the courtesy of your letters column, allow me to congratulate APNU+AFC in their victory at the general elections; it has been long in the making and even longer in the coming.

Dear Editor, I write on behalf of the children who are writing examinations.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – A Corey Brewer-inspired Houston Rockets overcame a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to set up a Game Seven decider in their Western Conference semi-final series with a stunning 119-107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Police yesterday afternoon released Mark Cromwell, who was linked to the recent discovery of an arms cache at a city wharf, according to Crime Chief Leslie James.

Two women are now in custody after they were allegedly caught with cocaine as they were preparing to board a flight for the United States at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri yesterday.

Dear Editor, To use the famous pet phrase of the PPP’s Bharrat Jagdeo: show us the evidence.

Talking to Alicia Bess you quickly realise a few things and the first is that she is genuine to the core.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne are backing a new Twenty20 league for former cricketing greats that will be played in cities around the world from later this year, the Australian newspaper reported yesterday.

(The Sports Xchange) – Forward LeBron James compiled 15 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated the Chicago Bulls with a 94-73 win in Game Six of their Eastern Conference semi-final series on Thursday night.

Dear Editor, There have been four milestone elections in the nation’s history.

A new date has been set for a report in the action filed by Carl Greenidge to prevent government misuse of funds from two Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loans totaling US$32 million.

Dear Editor, Let me firstly state categorically that I am not in any way affiliated to any political party, but as the outpouring of felicitations continues to inundate social media and other channels of communication, I too would like to offer my congratulatory message to David Granger and his dynamic team for an exemplary accomplishment; one that came in the face of immense and unrelenting adversity.

A coffee table book was recently launched to raise funds for the University of Guyana (UG) Endowment Fund.

Dear Editor I spent the last few days feeling tense, waiting with bated breath for the election results; it was the last thing on my mind when I went to bed at night, and the first thought when I awoke.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazilian prosecutors said on Friday they have obtained court orders for the seizure of 980 million reais ($327 million) in assets of construction firms under investigation in a massive corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC- West Indies Women suffered a six wicket defeat against Sri Lanka Women in the second One Day International (ODI) of a four match series at the R Premadasa Stadium here yesterday.

Die-hard fans of some musicians and actors make it their duty to learn everything they possibly can about them and then retain what they would have learned so that they are able to rattle off all of the statistics whenever they need to make a point.

(Jamaica Observer) Jamaica has moved closer to monitoring its territorial waters and fishing jurisdiction with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), popularly called drones.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua,CMC – Ex-West Indies seamer Eldine Baptiste has been appointed by the government here to lead the country’s Elite Cricket Programme.

Hi Everyone, I don’t think that I would be wrong if I said that we have had a week full of emotions.

BOGOTA, (Reuters) – Colombia will suspend aerial fumigation of illegal coca plants in light of a number of studies linking the herbicide involved to cancer, a move that marks the end of a decades-long strategy in the country’s fight against drug trafficking.

(Reuters) – Blues legend B.B. King, who took his music from rural juke joints to the mainstream and inspired a generation of guitarists from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughan, has died in Las Vegas.

Dear Editor, First of all I want to congratulate the coalition (APNU + AFC) on its victory in the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

(Reuters) – Puerto Rico’s governing party reached a tentative agreement on new tax measures, officials said Thursday, potentially avoiding a government shutdown and paving the way for a bond deal that could raise as much as $2.95 billion.

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC-Twenty20 super star Chris Gayle has signed with the Melbourne Renegades for the 2015-16 Big Bash League in Australia.

The Scene Cartoon

BOSTON, (Reuters) – Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to death by a U.S.

Dear Editor, I lend credence to the claims made by Mr Joe Persaud that ‘Joey Jagan, Alvin Kallicharran made the difference’ (SN, May 14) in giving the opposition coalition a narrow victory.

(Trinidad Express) Port of Spain: Massy Wood Group has been awarded a five-year contract, with a potential value of up to US$250 million, by oil and gas giant BP to provide services to its operations in Trinidad and Tobago.

LONDON, (Reuters) – New English Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves did not give Kevin Pietersen any guarantees about being recalled by England this year, he said yesterday.

Even when there are peaceful political transitions, many societies take years to absorb the complex aftermath of elections that displace longstanding governments.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, CMC-Trinidad and Tobago’s senior netball team crashed to a 42-63 defeat against England in their opening match of the Netball Europe ranking competition and Open Championship here on Thursday.

A Cevon’s Waste Management worker dumps sewage next door to the white sand beach of the Marriott Hotel in Kingston yesterday.

Dear Editor, Now that the APNU+AFC coalition has been voted in, I can hardly wait to hear what the East Indian guru, the self-proclaimed political pontiff thinks about all East Indians.

During the course of the election season, I played stylist to Lisa’s image for her rally appearances.

Politikles

BAGHDAD, (Reuters) – Islamic State militants raised their black flag over the local government headquarters in the Iraqi city of Ramadi yesterday and claimed victory through mosque loudspeakers after overrunning most of the western provincial capital.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – A major pharmacy chain has started fingerprinting customers in Caracas, as Venezuela’s socialist government tries to halt smugglers and resellers from stocking up on scarce goods from toilet paper to medicines.