Editorial

As we had opined early in the life of the APNU+AFC administration (SN, June 2, 2015), the appointment of Carl Greenidge as the country’s Foreign Minister was a clear signal by the new government of “a serious readiness to place economic diplomacy on its diplomatic front burner.”

The perplexing deaths of 18-year-old Ramesh Beharry and 19-year-old Kavita Ackloo on Monday last, which followed closely on the heels of that of social activist Zenita Nicholson last week are a sure indication that efforts need to be redoubled where mental health strategies are concerned, with particular emphasis on depression and suicide.

Following early post-election rumblings that have seemed to cast responsibility on Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the defeat of the People’s Partnership government in September, it was almost inevitable that some would raise doubts about her capacity to take the United National Congress (UNC) into office again.

Counseling as a tool in combating violence in schools must be supported by strong PTA’s.

Soon it will be crunch time again for rice farmers who will be expecting payments for their bumper output.

The week before last former President Bharrat Jagdeo opened a little window onto the nature of the negotiations his government had been pursuing to resolve the boundary controversy with Venezuela.

One way to gauge the enormity of China’s one-child-per-family policy — which is now being terminated after more than 35 years — is to consider the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

The results of the West Indies’ Test series against Sri Lanka do not make for pretty reading.

Guyana missed the bus, as did the rest of the Caribbean, with regard to reducing the rate of maternal mortality by three quarters as stipulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which ended this year.

Commentary in some of the international press indicates surprise at the apparent effusiveness with which President Xi Jinping of China was welcomed in Britain last week by the government of Prime Minister David Cameron, including the extensive participation of Queen Elizabeth in the proceedings.

The battle has already been manifestly enjoined with the PPP finding itself trying to fend off a continually (virtually daily) unfolding tirade of official accusations of corrupt practices during its tenure in office against which it has – up until now – mounted weak responses.

At Thursday’s sitting of Parliament, questions by PPP/C MP Dr Frank Anthony on spending for the inauguration of President David Granger were answered in writing by Minister in the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry.

For the third time this year President David Granger appeared before the National Assembly to address MPs – and by extension the nation – on the matter of Guyana’s frontiers.

The election that swept Canada’s Conservatives out of power earlier this week shows that, contrary to the prevailing wisdom of many campaign strategists, optimism still matters in politics, as does tone.

On October 15, former Venezuelan presidential candidate Manuel Rosales returned home after six years’ exile in Peru and was promptly arrested at the airport.

It is events like the death of 17-year-old Nikacia Allen after her third Caesarean Section (C-section) in four years that bring forcefully home to us the fact that not only is society failing our children, but that our health and social/welfare systems suck.

As he had promised during the last general election in Britain, Prime Minister Cameron has now gone on the hustings again to justify, and seek the support of the British electorate for continued membership of the European Union (EU).

The government has decided to stick with its widely unpopular ministers’ salary increase.

Now that President Granger has spoken it appears that the APNU+AFC administration has decided there will be no turning back on the much decried salary increases for ministers which range as high as 50% for Cabinet members.

The old-fashioned teachers’ brigade will be savouring an ‘I told you so’ moment, while the One Laptop per Family (OLPF) aficionados would no doubt feel somewhat chagrined.