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Vol. 30, Issue 12 QUEENS/LONG ISLAND/BRONX/MANHATTAN March 22–28, 2019
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READY
Guyana elections body
claims it still has work to do,
Opposition very frustrated
By Bert Wilkinson
Following the stunning loss
of a no confidence vote in parliament
in late December, the
Guyana’s Elections Commission
should have organized
fresh elections in 90 days but
the body has written authorities
saying it would not be
ready until late November at
the earliest sparking criticism
about a major breach of the
Caribbean Community nation’s
constitution.
The move to hold elections
nearly a year and a half ahead
of schedule came in the wake
of the collapse of the administration
of retired army general
David Granger after a government
lawmaker voted with the
opposition to erase its one seat
parliamentary majority, forcing
authorities to name a new
date within 90 days. The 90-day
window expires on Thursday.
But Granger has persistently
argued that while he was willing
to meet the 90-day requirement,
it was up to commission
to indicate it was ready and it
has now said that it is not.
Late on Tuesday, Commission
Chairman James Patterson
wrote Granger telling him
that “I would proffer that the
commission would be in a position
to conduct general and
regional elections no earlier
than late November 2019.”
The move has sparked bitter
criticism from the main
opposition People’s Progressive
Party as it accused authorities
of doing everything in their
power to hold on to office and
to drag the elections to 2020.
The five-year constitutional
term ends in mid 2020.
Spokesman Sase Gunraj dismissed
claims by the commission
that it needed 180 days to
organize fresh house to house
registration of voters to update
the voters list saying such is
not written in any law.
“It is not something that is
based on any law or policy,”
Gunraj said, noting that “we
have never seen a policy that
is trumping the laws of this
country. We will not telegraph
our options because the element
of surprise is necessary.”
The business community
and western diplomats have
expressed concern that the
political tension caused by the
row over a date could affect the
Regional artists tell stories
Leroy Parris (L) explains his classical and contemporary pieces. See story on Page
50. Photo by George Alleyne
Trump, select Carib leaders to meet
By Nelson A. King
With the Trump administration
openly and strongly
supporting Venezuela’s Opposition
Leader, Juan Guaidó
in the on-going crisis in that
South American country, the
White House announced on
Tuesday that President Donald
J. Trump will meet with select
Caribbean leaders at his Mara
Lago resort in Florida on
Friday, March 22.
The White House said in
a statement that Trump will
meet with the leaders of the
Bahamas, the Dominican
Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and
St. Lucia to reaffirm Washington’s
“strong friendship with
and commitment to these
countries, and signal the
importance of the Caribbean
to the hemisphere.
“The president will discuss
his vision for our diverse relationships
in the Caribbean and
the potential opportunities for
energy investment,” said the
statement, adding that Trump
and the Caribbean leaders will
also discuss Chinese economic
intervention in the region and
the extant political and economic
crisis in Venezuela.
Trump was vehemently
condemned in several quarters
last year after reportedly
using derogatory language
to describe immigrants from
Haiti and African nations.
He also reportedly suggested
that the US should welcome
immigrants from countries
like Norway, according to the
Hill, which covers the US presidency
and US Congress.
“Never said anything derogatory
about Haitians other
than Haiti is, obviously, a very
poor and troubled country.
Never said ‘take them out.’
Made up by Dems,” tweeted
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