https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/pncr-marks-69th-anniversary/
PNCR marks 69th anniversary
The People’s National Congress Reform on Monday marked the 69th anniversary of its founding, paying tribute to its leaders and calling for members to recommit to its principles, a year after the PNCR-led APNU suffered its worst electoral defeat.
In an anniversary statement, the party recalled October 5, 1957, when the PPP Burnhamite was renamed the People’s National Congress. It described the change as a defining moment in its political development.
“That moment was far more than a name change. It marked a significant shift in our Party’s and our country’s political journey, a declaration of independence of thought, of principle, and of purpose,” the statement said.
The anniversary comes against the backdrop of a sharp decline in the party’s electoral fortunes. At the September 1, 2025 general and regional elections, APNU fell to third place, losing its traditional strongholds in what is described as its worst-ever defeat.
APNU secured 12 parliamentary seats, compared with the 31 won by the APNU+AFC coalition in 2020. Current leader Aubrey Norton subsequently opted not to take a parliamentary seat, saying he wanted to build a new team and prepare the party for the future.
In March this year, Norton attributed the defeat principally to internal divisions. APNU failed to win any of the ten regions at the 2025 polls.
The anniversary statement did not address that electoral performance or outline specific measures for rebuilding support. It nevertheless expressed confidence in a future PNCR-led government.
“Guyana is better because of the PNC. And Guyana will be better still with a PNCR-led government, one that stands for the people, protects our nation’s interests, and builds a future of prosperity, unity, and justice for all,” it said.
The party honoured founder Forbes Burnham and former leaders Desmond Hoyte, Robert Corbin and David Granger, alongside current leader Aubrey Norton.
The tribute to Corbin came a day after his death at the age of 78. The statement remembered him as having carried the party’s banner “with dedication and resolve”.
It also recognised Ptolemy Reid, Jane Phillips-Gay, Winifred Gaskin, Ranji Chandisingh, Jainarine Singh, Vincent Teekah and Philip Duncan, as well as rank-and-file members whose contributions it said should not be forgotten.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
A test of constitutional government
https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/editorial/a-test-of-constitutional-government/
A test of constitutional government
The allegations against Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, head of the Special Organised Crime Unit, confront Guyana with a test of constitutional government. The police have acknowledged a report alleging rape and threatening behaviour against a senior officer, while Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond has publicly identified Karimbaksh and supported administrative leave pending investigation. These allegations remain unproven. Their seriousness nevertheless requires an institutional response that is prompt, lawful and demonstrably impartial.
The Constitution is sacrosanct in the exercise of public power. Article 8 establishes it as Guyana’s supreme law, against which inconsistent legislation must yield. Its authority binds the government, the police and every public official. Constitutional supremacy demands obedience even when its requirements are inconvenient, politically uncomfortable or directed towards someone occupying a powerful office.
Public servants are entrusted with powers belonging to the state. They must exercise those powers within the law and submit to lawful scrutiny of their conduct. For police officers, this obligation carries particular weight: their authority includes investigating citizens, restricting liberty and using force in legally defined circumstances. The public must therefore be confident that the same institution will investigate allegations against its own leadership without allowing rank to confer preferential treatment.
While Mr Karimbaksh is entitled to the presumption of innocence and a fair process the complainant must be entitled to protection, respectful treatment and a serious examination of her report. Both these obligations must operate together. A properly authorised, proportionate decision to place an officer on administrative leave is intended to protect an investigation without deciding guilt. Its purpose, legal basis and conditions should therefore be clearly explained, with all of its appropriate reviews.
The absence of a functioning Police Service Commission, which falls within the purview of the President, makes the matter more troubling. Minister Walrond has cited that absence when discussing who should authorise leave. Article 212, subject to Article 211(1), places disciplinary control over officers at or above the rank of inspector in the Commission and provides for delegation of powers. The precise authority for any interim measure must therefore be established through the applicable constitutional and statutory provisions. Ministerial preference alone cannot supply it.
Yet constitutional fidelity also requires maintaining the institutions through which accountability operates. An unconstituted commission should trigger urgent completion of the lawful appointment process and a clear explanation of available interim safeguards. Citizens should not have to discover, when a serious complaint arises, that an essential oversight mechanism is unavailable. The authorities owe the public both an apology and an account of why this gap was allowed to occur and how it will be prevented.
Other jurisdictions offer useful examples, although none provides a flawless model. In Ontario, Canada, the Special Investigations Unit is a civilian agency independent of the police. Within its statutory jurisdiction, it investigates allegations of sexual assault involving police officers and other specified officials. Its existence demonstrates that serious allegations against law-enforcement personnel can be investigated through a legally empowered body outside their ordinary command structure.
England provides both a warning and an accountability example. The David Carrick case exposed serious failures in responding to allegations against a serving Metropolitan Police officer who was subsequently convicted of sexual offences. The Independent Office for Police Conduct examined how earlier reports had been handled, including possible failures by other officers. Some resulting in misconduct allegations were not proven; separate failures attracted disciplinary consequences. The lesson concerns institutional accountability as well as individual offending: those responsible for receiving and investigating complaints must themselves remain answerable for their decisions.
There is no single worldwide procedure governing every public office. There are, however, well-established international benchmarks. The OECD’s public-integrity framework or Nolan’s Principles calls for clear standards, priority for the public interest, management of conflicts and enforceable accountability. The Nolan Principles similarly emphasise selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. These standards require institutions capable of applying their rules to senior officials as consistently as to junior employees.
Guyana must translate those principles into working safeguards. It needs functioning constitutional commissions, protected reporting channels, specialist handling of sexual-offence complaints, evidence-preservation procedures and effective protection against retaliation. Investigators’ reporting arrangements should place them beyond the accused officer’s influence. Public updates should explain the process while protecting the complainant’s identity, confidential evidence and the fairness of any eventual proceedings.
A transparent, lawful investigation would demonstrate the capacity to confront a serious complaint. An opaque or compromised process would invite broader doubts.
The strongest reason for meeting these standards remains the rights of Guyanese citizens. The complainant deserves a protected and credible process; Mr Karimbaksh deserves a fair determination; the public deserves institutions whose authority survives scrutiny. The Constitution must govern each of those obligations. Guyana will show respect for its supreme law through the independence, competence and fairness of the response it now delivers.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
T&HD Goods Wharf appeared ‘fixed up’ for MV Barima investigators; areas of MV Malisha badly corroded
Last Updated on Thursday, 8 October 2026, 23:31 by Written By Denis Chabrol
The Ministry of Public Works’ Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) goods wharf on Water Street, Kingston on Thursday appeared to have specially ‘fixed up’ for the visit by the MV Barima inquiry commissioners.
Though they opted to be mum on what that they saw when approached by reporters, it was clear that they noted that there was a “brand new” vehicle weigh scale that was placed under a tent, seemingly part of the props for the five-member team appointed by President Irfaan Ali.
They checked tags on the weigh scale as well as several cables and realised that they were not connected to any other device to display the weight. One of the commissioners was moved to remark that the scale was “brand new” after he checked small tags on the equipment and realised that they were sticky. Minutes later, a T&HD staff member took two portable digital weighing indicators from a room, unlocked their cases and showed them to the commissioners.
Demerara Waves was reliably informed by well-placed sources at the goods wharf from where ferries like the MV Barima depart for North West District destinations that special efforts were made to ensure a few workers were clad in reflectorised vests. In fact, a number of the vests also appeared brand new. T&HD General Manager Yolanda Hughes declined to field questions, including about whether the site was specially prepared for the visit.
A children’s play section in the passengers’ waiting area also seemed unused and extremely clean as if it was unused. Reporters also saw workers earlier Thursday cleaning the chairs in the waiting area.
MV Malisha
As part of their broader mandate to recommend reforms to strengthen maritime safety and prevent a recurrence of the MV Barima tragedy of July 18 that claimed the lives of more than 100 persons, the inquiry commissioners visited the MV Malisha, a four-year old ferry that was acquired from India in 2022 at a cost of US$12.7 million, to serve the North West District.
Captain Hamada Fouda, a Senior Maritime Surveyor and Compliance Auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, who is a member of the COI, checked several areas of the MV Malisha. In one instance, he came upon a a rusty protective cap for a tank air vent, a part of which literally fragmented in his hand. The other similarly rusty vent’s manual valve wheel was also missing. There were also other corroded components.
The COI Chairman Justice Godfrey Smith said on Thursday that his team would examine inspection, certification, maintenance systems, operational procedures, supervision, staffing, training, enforcement and regulatory oversight where those matters are relevant. The probe team plans to identify and recommend legislation and regulations that require amendment and strengthening, institutional responsibilities that require clear delineation and enforcement, policy changes that must be implemented, training and certification that may be needed and how emergency response arrangements can be improved and any infrastructure and systems that may, over time, need to be put in place.
Justice Smith also said that that if the COI sees the need make make interim recommendations to the president in the interest of public safety, that would be done.
When the MV Barima sank about 10 miles off the Essequibo Coast while enroute from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, there were 179 passengers and crew aboard.
Source: Demerara Waves
Karimbaksh sent on leave pending outcome of rape investigation
The Guyana Police Force has announced that Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit, Fizal Karimbaksh has been sent on leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the allegations of rape and threatening behaviour made against him by a female Inspector of Police.
In a statement this afternoon, the Guyana Police Force also confirmed that the female officer has since been transferred from the Special Organised Crime Unit to Regional Division 4A.
The Minister of Home Affairs in a statement last Friday had indicated that the officer had made the request to be transferred after filing the report against the Deputy Commissioner.
The Guyana Police Force this afternoon said following receipt of the report, Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, established a team to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations.
The Police Force also said it would like to assure the public that the allegations are being treated with the seriousness they warrant and that the investigation will be conducted professionally, impartially and in accordance with established procedures.
The Force said it remains committed to ensuring that due process is afforded to all parties involved.
Investigations are ongoing and further information will be provided as necessary. The announcement by the Police Force came minutes after Mr. Karimbaksh denied that he had received any letter sending him on leave when contacted by News Source.
He has remained quiet on the allegations leveled against him. News Source understands that the investigative team has already moved to acquire a statement from the Deputy Commissioner, but he reportedly indicated to them that the statement will be sent through his Attorneys.
The allegations by the female Police Inspector first surfaced last week after an official report was made to the Police. In the report, the woman claimed that she was sexually assaulted and raped by the Deputy Commissioner on two separate occasions, including an occasion at the Police Headquarters. She also claimed that she was threatened by him and had a gun pointed at her.
The Police Force has initially taken a silent approach as questions were raised about the allegations, but the silence was broken last Friday just after the Home Affairs Minister confirmed that a report had been made by the female Police Officer against the Deputy Commissioner of Police.
This is not the first time that sexual assault allegations have been leveled against Mr. Karimbaksh. He had dismissed previous allegations against him.
Five years ago, the then Police Service Commission had moved to block his promotion from Senior Superintendent over similar allegations, but he moved to the Court over that action and was eventually promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police under a new Police Service Commission. He was later appointed as Deputy Commissioner of Police by President Irfaan Ali.
Over the past week, the political opposition and a number of women’s rights organisations have been calling for a thorough probe of the allegations against Karimbaksh and for him to be sent on administrative leave.
While he has now been sent on leave, that leave is not administrative.
Source: News Source Guyana
MV Barima Commission of Inquiry examine loading and other facilities at Kingston wharf
The members of the MV Barima Commission of Inquiry visited the Kingston Loading Wharf today as part of a series of on-site visits ahead of public hearings, which will begin next week.
The Kingston Loading Wharf was the last port of departure for the MV Barima Ferry which sank on July 18, 2026 claiming the lives of over 100 persons. More than 30 of those persons remain missing.
Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry (COI), Justice Godfrey Smith and the four other Commissioners, Captain Hamada Fouda, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, retired Rear Admiral Hayden Pritchard and Dr Andrzej Jasionowski, were given a tour of the facility by the Transport and Harbours Manager Yolanda Hughes.
The bond, the waiting area and other sections of the facility were inspected by the Commissioners along with the MV Malisha.
Throughout the visit, the Commissioners could be seen inspecting the safety signs and equipment at the facility, and parts of the vessel that is currently docked at the wharf.
Among the equipment that caught the attention of the members of the Commission was a new axle scale, which was placed under a red tent, and surrounded by cones.
The equipment, however, was not connected, News Source understands, and was reportedly placed at the site just days ago.
“It’s new. It’s brand new,” Captain Fouda told his fellow Commissioners, with Commissioner Alfonso responding “yes, it is,” with another adding “we know, we know.”
Additionally, the safety signs at strategic points within the facility all appeared relatively new, in addition to the safety gear worn by staff.
As they inspected the facilities at the wharf, the Commission Chairman declined to offer a comment on their findings, telling reporters that the Commission is working.
“No comments. We are working. We are working…We are working. We are trying to keep our minds focus” Justice Smith would only say.
The Transport and Harbours Manager, when asked about the new safety measures including signage and safety gears, declined to comment.
“Sorry dear, no comments at this time. No comments,” she told reporters.
Visits were also conducted to the Transport and Harbours Department, and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) today.
Tomorrow, the Commissioners will also visit two other port facilities.
Visits will also be conducted to Mabaruma, and Port Kaituma next Monday and Tuesday, where the Commissioners will not only visit the wharves there, but also engage with the survivors and families of those who died.
The Commission is mandated to establish, so far as the evidence permits, the full facts and sequence of events; determine the immediate, direct, contributing and systemic causes of the casualty, identify the shortcomings or failures; and assess compliance with applicable legal and safety requirements. It is also expected to put forward a number of recommendations at the conclusion of its work.
Source: News Source Guyana
President presses EU to remove “backward” process for Schengen visa applications
President Irfaan Ali has made known his displeasure about the existing process for Guyanese to obtain a Schengen visa for travel those European countries in the Schengen region, describing the process as backward.
Last year, the European Commission Delegation in Guyana announced that persons wishing to apply for Schengen visas will be allowed to do so in Guyana if the main destination is France.
But Guyanese still need to visit Suriname or Trinidad for a visa to visit other Schengen areas, a move the President openly criticised during the opening of the State of Tourism Conference in Guyana.
“Here is the European Union is still backward in this region, we have to travel to Trinidad and Suriname to get biometrics to do it, in a day of digitization and A.I, we have, we have the E.U, that is operating from stone age kind of operation and they are our friends we can tell them frankly,” the President said during the opening of State of Tourism Conference.
The Guyana Government has been pressing for the visa application process to be offered here for the past few years. An undertaking was provided three years ago that the issue would be examined.
“We can’t have people have to go two days and three days, we can’t build partnerships and friendships like that, where people have to spend four days to get a visa to travel to your country and you want to host international conferences, so you invite us to all of the beautiful conferences that we want to attend, but we have to invest four days before we get the visa to attend, the modern world can’t be that complicate,” the President noted.
This is not the first time the President has made his feelings known on the issue.During the launch of the EU/ Guyana Chamber of Commerce, the President described the situation as unacceptable, and said the European Union must find ways to begin the issuance of Schengen visas in Guyana.
Source: News Source Guyana
Guyana’s UN Secretary General nominee slips to third place in latest straw poll
Guyana’s nominee for the United Nations Secretary General job, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has slipped to third place in the latest straw poll conducted by the United Nations Security Council.
Rodrigues-Birkett is among seven candidates seeking the top UN job, but the job may be slipping away from her as the Security Council inches closer to its recommendation.
According to Article 97 of the UN Charter, the “Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council”.
The Straw polls are informal ballots used to assess the viability of candidates before the Council makes its formal recommendation through a resolution adopted during a private meeting. There are fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council. Five of those members are Permanent Members and have the power to veto any of the candidates.
A successful candidate for the job would have to pick up at least nine votes from the Security Council with no veto.
In the latest straw poll which was conducted on Wednesday, Guyana’s candidate picked up only 5 encouraging votes, with 9 votes discouraged by her nomination and one “no opinion” vote.
It is a big drop off for Rodrigues-Birkett who previously placed within the top 2 of the previous straw polls with more encouraging votes than discouraging votes. It is the first time that she has more discouraging votes than encouraging votes. Still, Rodrigues-Birkett remains confident in her candidacy, although reports continue that the United States intends to block her nomination over her description of Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide.
The latest straw poll saw the Costa Rican candidate, Rebeca Grynspan picking up 9 encouraging votes to maintain her lead. It is the fourth time that Grynspan has topped the straw polls. She was only bumped from the top position once, and that was when she placed second during the second straw poll just behind Rodrigues-Birkett.
In the latest straw poll, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, who was the first candidate to publicly declare his intentions to run for the UN’s top job, polled second with six encourage, seven discourage and two no opinion. He too is facing a major challenge to overcome the front runner.
Although Grynspan continues to top the polls, she still needs to convince the other six members of the UN Security Council to support her candidacy as her lead ahead of the other candidates remain slim.
The next UN Secretary General is expected to be in place by January, 2027.
Source: News Source Guyana
Security guard gunned down in Chinese supermarket during suspected robbery
Another security guard in a Chinese supermarket was gunned down this afternoon during a suspected armed robbery.
The dead security guard has been identified as 38-year-old Esan Orlando Rose, who was on duty at the LIDA Supermarket in Charlestown, Georgetown.
According to reports, Rose, who was also armed, may have been taken by surprise when two suspected robbers burst into the supermarket and opened fire. He never got the chance to respond and was reportedly hit multiple times to the body. No other person was injured.
The two suspects escaped from the scene on motorcycles while firing off a number of gunshots, forcing other road users, including school children to run for cover.
As Police investigators swooped down on the scene, relatives of the dead man arrived and sobbed bitterly as they were informed of the man’s death. The dead man’s wife, Melensa Rawlins, told reporters that she rushed to the scene as soon as she was informed of the shooting incident.
Just three weeks ago, another armed security guard at a Chinese supermarket on the East Coast of Demerara was shot dead by two gunmen who opened fire during an attempted robbery. The investigation into that incident remains active.
Source: News Source Guyana
New Amsterdam man acquitted of rape and sexual activity charges – News Room Guyana
A 65-year-old New Amsterdam man was on Thursday acquitted of charges alleging that he engaged in sexual activity with and raped a girl who was between 10 and 11 years old.
Neil Fredericks, a heavy-duty truck and machine driver of Philadelphia Street, New Amsterdam,
was charged with sexual activity with a child under 16 and rape of a child under 16.
The first charge alleged that between March 1, 2020, and October 31, 2021, in Berbice, Fredericks engaged in sexual activity with a girl who was between 10 and 11 years old. The second charge alleged that during the same period, he sexually penetrated the child.
Frederick, who appeared before Justice Peter Hugh in the Berbice High Court, denied both allegations and maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards presented the prosecution’s case, calling 14 witnesses, including five police officers and a doctor, to testify during the trial.
Frederick was represented by attorney-at-law Charlyn Artiga.
After Justice Hugh summed up the evidence on Thursday, the 12-member jury retired to deliberate before returning with unanimous verdicts of not guilty on both charges.
Frederick became emotional after the verdicts were announced and was seen in tears as he left the courtroom.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Frederick said he was relieved by the outcome, particularly because the allegations had been brought against him by people he had cared for and assisted.
He said the seriousness of the allegations had taken a significant toll, including sleepless nights.
“I would like to tell a lot of men, don’t take women with children; stay away from them,” he stated.
Fredericks expressed gratitude to God, his attorney and the jurors for their roles in the proceedings.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
From pepper to prosperity: Warao women build a new livelihood – News Room Guyana
A Wiri Wiri pepper project in Region One is giving several Warao women a new source of income while helping communities adapt to persistent water and climate challenges.
The project, led by the Guyana Marine Conservation Society and supported by the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), is based in Smith Creek, where indigenous Warao women are cultivating Wiri Wiri peppers, celery and shallots in climate-resilient shade houses.
Founder of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, Annette Arjoon-Martins, said the initiative is designed to give indigenous women opportunities to earn an income, particularly in communities where men and young boys often find work in the extractive industries.
“For the first time, they can earn their own money,” Arjoon-Martins said.
She said the women are earning about $1,000 per pint of Wiri Wiri peppers, while shallots sell for about $3,000 per pound and celery for approximately $4,500 per pound.
The income is already making a difference for families, with Arjoon-Martins saying women frequently use their earnings to keep their children in school.
The project is also addressing one of the communities’ major challenges: access to fresh water.
Arjoon-Martins said the communities are located close to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving rivers and creeks salted for much of the year. Women previously had to travel by boat for hours to obtain fresh water.
Through the GGI, the shade houses were fitted with corrugated roofing that captures rainwater and stores up to 80,000 gallons of water. The facility also uses solar-powered pumps and drip irrigation, reducing the amount of manual labour needed to water crops.
The project is now moving beyond the sale of fresh produce into agro-processing and branding.
The Wiri Wiri is being sold in several forms, including pickled, dehydrated whole, and as flakes. The products are marketed under the Towatuma brand, a Warao term meaning “women working together.”
The women are also receiving support to strengthen their businesses and communication skills and to understand how their products can compete in wider markets.
According to Arjoon-Martins, interest in the products is already extending beyond Guyana, with visitors from the Caribbean asking why the products are not yet available in countries such as Trinidad and Barbados.
The project is working with GO-Invest to be part of Brand Guyana gondolas, with the aim of securing supermarket shelf space and eventually expanding into regional markets.
The next phase will focus on developing more value-added products.
“For the Christmas season, the women are preparing a Wiri Wiri-infused cassareep product, combining the region’s traditional cassareep with its authentic Wiri Wiri pepper,” Arjoon-Martins explained.
And as the Towatuma brand looks toward Guyanese supermarkets and eventually Caribbean markets, the humble Wiri Wiri pepper is becoming a vehicle for women’s enterprise, value-added production and economic opportunities for indigenous communities
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
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