Lakhram Bhagirat

American deep-sea scientist, Dr Erik Cordes, has informed the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for ExxonMobil’s Yellowtail project is seriously deficient and does not paint the correct picture of the impact of its offshore activities.

With the People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR) 21st Biennial Delegates Congress set for tomorrow, the party’s Chief Election Officer (CEO) Vincent Alexander is reporting that all systems are in place to ensure a free, fair and transparent elections process.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) breached the Procurement Act twice last year by single-sourcing the Bell 412 EPI helicopter and signing the contract before approval was granted by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), according to the Auditor General’s report.

A special audit by the Auditor General into the procurement, storage and distribution of COVID-19 supplies has revealed that the Ministry of Public Health and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) awarded 18 contracts, totalling almost $242 million, before receiving the approval of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

After the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was discovered in Guyana back in March 2020, the then APNU+AFC government implemented an assistance programme for vulnerable persons but a recent audit of the scheme shows that 9,000 eligible applicants were denied the grants.

After more than three hours of deliberation, the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM) on Friday selected Vishnu Persaud to be the new Chief Election Officer (CEO), bringing an end to the more than three-month-long process to fill the post.

Last week’s move to commission the Anna Regina Multilateral School (ARMS) as one of the newest sixth form institutions in the country and its subsequent description as the first in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) is not sitting well with one of the school’s former Deputy Headmasters.

Both Vishnu Persaud and Jamaican Leslie Harrow were interviewed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday for the vacant post of Chief Election Officer (CEO) and a decision could come as early as today.

Referencing recent moves between Guyana and Barbados to remove trade barriers, President Irfaan Ali on Friday night sounded a warning for other CARICOM nations that are bent on making it tougher for the local manufacturing sector to take advantage of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is now close to appointing a new Chief Election Officer (CEO) after deciding yesterday that only two candidates:  Jamaican Leslie Harrow and Guyanese Vishnu Persaud will  be interviewed for the post.

Yesterday’s statutory meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was brought to an abrupt halt as a result of a power outage while the government and Opposition-nominated Commis-sioners were engaged in a battle over the experience of Vishnu Persaud to serve as Chief Election Officer (CEO).

With the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) 21st Biennial Delegates Congress just days away, contender for the office of Party Leader Dr Richard Van West-Charles is hoping for a transparent process as the Party, for the first time, conducts simultaneous elections across the country.

With the six-week review period for the draft amendments to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) winding down, the Electoral Reform Group (ERG) is calling on the government to simplify the proposals in order to reach the wider Guyanese population and extend the timeframe.

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sticking by its decision to not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, environmentalist Simone Mangal-Joly is warning against the potential impacts that a project of such magnitude can bring.

-mangroves expected to be removed -public has 30 days to lodge appeal again The EPA yesterday launched a fresh process for the approval of a new bridge over the Demerara River and stuck to its controversial opinion that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required even though protected mangroves will have to be removed.

Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh SC is expected to present an integrated list of shortlisted candidates for the seven advertised positions, to the Commissioners by tomorrow.

With almost every child on earth currently exposed to climate and environmental hazards, it is imperative for future generations that action be taken to mitigate these effects.

Accusing the PPP/C government of being “autocratic” by imposing a 7% pay hike for public servants, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on Friday urged President Irfaan Ali to direct the start of overdue negotiations between his administration and the union on increases of wages, salaries and allowances for 2020 and 2021.

Guyana is among the countries in the Caribbean that faces the greatest risk of a retreating shoreline and stands to lose 53 metres of its shoreline by 2050 if the current climate trend continues and the sea level increases, according to the recently released World Bank Climate Report.

Opposition-nominated GECOM commissioners have shortlisted only three overseas applicants for the post of Chief Election Officer (CEO) while the government side has selected these persons in addition to three Guyanese including two currently working in the electoral system.