The Week in Review

Elections Political parties sign code of conduct – The 11 political parties, which have been approved to contest the March 2nd, 2020 elections, signed a Code of Conduct on Thursday under the auspices of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).

Oil & Gas Guyana stands to lose US$55B in bad oil deal – Saying that available data show that Guyana has an oil deal far below global standards and will lose out on up to US$55 Billion over the 40-year period of the licence for the offshore Stabroek Block, international corruption watchdog Global Witness has written to ExxonMobil urging a renegotiation.

Oil & Gas Oil production begins: ExxonMobil on Friday night announced the start of oil production from the Liza field, offshore Guyana ahead of schedule and less than five years after the first find of hydrocarbons.

Sugar Sugar workers in countrywide strike for pay hikes: Over 3,000 sugar workers across the country began a strike last week for increased wages, which they have not been granted over the past five years as a result of what they believe is clear discrimination.

Oil Exxon to get first oil lift: ExxonMobil will take the first three liftings of crude oil from the country’s huge offshore deposits and Guyana will receive its share in its ground-breaking petroleum endeavour beginning around March next year.

Elections No going back to Parliament: While Attorney General Basil Williams says that a “crisis situation” will result if the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) does not return to the National Assembly, his predecessor and PPP executive Anil Nandlall says government must absorb that blame as his party remains adamant that it will not be returning to the House.

Politics Lengthy gap between Nomination, Election days in draft timeline for polls: The draft schedule of timelines presented by the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) includes a 55-day gap between Nomination Day and Elections Day, we published on September 9th, according to a source.

Politics GECOM Secretariat sees March as earliest time for polls: The Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Friday, September 6th, presented to the commissioners a draft schedule of timelines which set the earliest date for General and Regional Elections as March 2020.

Politics GECOM ending house-to-house early to prepare for polls: Retired judge Claudette Singh, the new Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, on Tuesday, August 27th, took the decision to conclude the national house-to-house registration exercise early as the body moves towards the holding of general elections “within the shortest time possible.”

Oil Tullow finds oil in Orinduik Block: Director, Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe on August 12th announced that UK-based Tullow Oil Plc’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Tullow Guyana B.V,

New GECOM Chair sworn in: Retired Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh was sworn in as the first female chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Monday, July 29th and signaled that the constitution would be her guide.

PoliticsCCJ dubs gov’t ‘caretaker’ but elections date a no-go: The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Friday, July 12th, declined to fix timelines for general elections, which it says should be held in accordance with the Constitution following the December 21st, 2018 passage of a motion of no-confidence against the APNU+AFC government and it has also established that a “caretaker” administration now exists.